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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

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Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiquet 


I. 


1^87 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  tacliniquas  at  bibliographiquos 


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1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

I 


Cake  ana  forest  5cvk$. 

By  Capt.  Charles  A.  J.  Farrar. 


W   RECORD  OF  SPORT  AXD  ADVEXTURE 
IN  THE 

WILDS  OF  MAINE. 

■ro  BE  COMPLETED  IN  SIX  VOLUMES. 


ICmo.    Illustrated.    Price,  $1.25  each. 

I.    EASTWARD   HO! 

Adventures  at  Rangeley    Lak.s. 
II.    WILD    WOODS   LIFE; 

A  Trip  to  Parmachenee, 
LIII.    DOWN    THE    WEST    BRANCH; 

Cairpa  and  Tiamps  around  Katehdin. 
IV.    UP  THE  NORTH   BRANCH; 
A  Summer's  Outing. 


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LAKE  AXn  FOREST  SERIES 


UP  TUB  NORTH   BRANCH 


OR 


A   SUMMER'S   OUTING 


BEING 


THE  RECORD  OF  A  CAMPIXC-OUT  TRIP  UP  THE  NORTH 

BRANCH   OF   THK    I'ENOU^cOT   AND   DOWN    THE 

ST.  JOHN    RIVER,   THROUGH    THE    WILDb 

OF    MAINE    AND    NEW    BRUNSWICK, 

UV  MEMBERS  OF  THE  "  LAKE  AND  FOREST  CLUE" 


CAPT.    CHARLES    A.    J.    FARRAR 

AITIIOR     OF     "EASTWARD     Ho!"     'WlID     WOODS     LIFE,"    "DOWN     THE 

WEST   BHANt  il."    "  MOOSEIIEAIJ    LAKE    AND   THE   NORTH    MAINE 

WILUEKNESS,"    '"THK     ANUKOSCOUGIN    LAKES," 

STC,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON     T  889 
LEE   AND    S  n  E  P  A  R  I)    PUBLISHERS 

10    MKLK      sfkEKV    NEXT    "tHH    OLD    SOUTH     MEETING     HOUSE  " 

NEW  YORK  CHARLES  T.  DH.LINGHAM 

yi8     AND     720    BKOADWAY 


COPYKIGHT,    iSSS, 

By  Lee  and  Sheharo. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 
VV  THE   NOKTU    UKANCII. 


Fll- 


JAN  24  1974" 


i 


« 


Co  £Hs  SHife 
ROSE   AUSTIN   FARRAR 

WHOSE  FAITH    AND   INTEREST    IN    MY   SUCCESS   HAVE   ENCOURAGED 

ME  TO   PERSEVERE   AGAINST   MANY   DIFFICULTIES 

IN    LITERARY   WORK 

THIS    VOLUME 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED. 


^ 
3 

^ 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Forks  of  the  Kennebec 3* 

Long  Pond  Outlet 44 

Lk  Rovs  Gun  Came  Quickly  to  his  Shoulder    .      ".        -65 

C AMI  INC.  AT  Baker  Lake 'oo 

Davk  and  the  Bear 220 

FicHT  WITH  A  Catamount 3°2 

The  Death  of  the  Coiners 3*5 


i 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter 

I. 

II. 

III. 

TV. 

V. 
VI. 
VII. 
VIII. 
IX. 
X. 
XI. 
XII. 
XIII. 
XIV. 
XV. 
XVI. 
XVII. 
XVIll. 
XIX. 


Paob 

Behind  the  Ikon  Horse J^3 

En  Route  for  Moose  River ^3 

A  Surprise  and  a  Race ^^ 

The  First  Nights  Camp 5? 

From  Kineo  to  Seeboomook 7i 

Up  the  North  Branch 

Camping  at  Baker  Lake lo^ 

A  Battle  with  Wolves ^  ^7 

The  Loss  of  the  Boats ^-S 

Building  the  Raft ''*')• 

A  Novel  Tugboat '5 

The  Burning  Forest ^^9 

A  Bear  Hunt ^^7 

Down  River  — A  Big  Fish -i5 

A  Partridge  Hunt ^37 

A  Side  Trip ^^ 

Moose-Shooting -^" 

Fight  with  a  Catamount 3oi 

Death  of  the  Coiners  — Hum::  ....  3''; 

9 


Ill 


II 


P  R  K  1^^  A  C  E. 


In  this  volume,  the  fourth  of  the  series,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  "  Lake  and  Forest  Club  "  travel  through 
the  wilds  of  Maine  and  of  New  Brunswick  for  more 
than  a  thousand  miles.  Several  new  experiences 
of  a  character  to  try  the  nerves  of  the  young  fel- 
lows composing  the  party,  are  met  with  on  this  trip ; 
but  the  latter  are  enabled  successfully  to  cope  with 
the  unexpected  strain,  and  live  to  see  the  final  end 
of  their  enemies  who  figure  in  **  Down  the  West 

Branch." 

This  volume  carries  the  Club  and  the  reader, 
not  to  "  greener  fields,"  but  to  "  pastures  new,"  in- 
troducing them  to  a  partially  unexplored  and  out 
little  known  section  of  the  New  England  and  the 
Canadian  Wildernesses,  struggling  through  which, 
the  most  of  the  time  without  a  guide,  they  fre- 
quently found  themselves  in  dilemmas  from  which 
they  were  only  extricated  by  a  plucky  determination 
to  conquer  all  difBcuities. 

This  book,  like  the  others  of  the  series,  treats 
of  forest  ':fe,  and  quite  an  amount  of  information 

II 


tr 


12 


Preface. 


'■\ 


i 


of  practical  use  to  amateurs  is  interwoven  into  the 
narrative  which  runs  through  the  volume,  making 
it,  the  author  hopes,  not  only  interesting,  but  in- 
structive. 

The  marked  favor  which  greeted  the  previous 
volumes  of  the  series  will  be  extended,  it  is  be- 
lieved confidently,  to  this  latest  production  of  the 
author ;  and  as  he  has  endeavored  to  eliminate 
from  its  pages  anything  which  might  be  prejudicial 
to  the  best  taste  and  the  morals  of  young  readers, 
he  therefore  trusts  that  discriminating  parents  will 
wwkome  "  Up  the  North  Branch  "  to  their  family 
libraries.  Many  "  old  boys  "  have  expressed  their 
liking  for  the  authors  literary  efforts  in  as  strong 
terms  as  those  of  the  young,  who  have  given  to 
his  works  their  appreciative  recognition. 

C.  A.  J.  Farrar. 
RocKViEW,  Jamaica  Plain,  Mass., 
June,  iS88. 


UP   THE   NORTH    BRANCH;  1 


OK 


A  SUMMER'S  OUTING. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BEHIND  THE  IRON  HORSE. 

SEATE.  in  a   parlor  car  which   was  -Pid'y  being 
whirled  eastward,  on  the  5th  of    July,  .880    were   a 
party  of  nine  young  gentlemen,  w  >o  seemed  to  be  hav 
C  a  most  enjoyable  ti.ne,  and  whom  many  of  the 
readers  of  the  like  and  Forest  Series  will  recogmze 
:w  friends      It  may  readily  be  inferred  that  this 
"r     J    esome  oC  tlJmembers  of  the  Lake  and  For- 
Lt^ciub    starting  out  on  their  "  fourth  pilgrimage  to 
Maine,"  as  Claude  Emerson  expressed  it. 

To  he  great  gratification  of  the  party,  two  of  the 
ori  inal  members,  by  a  happy  combinatior  of  — 
stages  !-d  been  enabled  to  participate  m  the  present 
lu  and  the  readers  of  "Eastward  Ho!"  ^  easily 
: :;rber  Wimam  Foster  and  George  Robb.ns. he 
first  having  come  from  California,  and  the  latter  .» 
Florida,  to  join  in  the  "  Summer's  Outing. 

Just  noi  the.  young  gentlemen  were  mdulgmg  in 
pleasant  rer.iniscences  of^  Uieir  other  trips,  and  peal 


14 


Up  the  No,  :h  Brc.ucli. 


ii 


'III 


upon  peal  of  laughter  rolled  through  the  car  as  incident 
after  incident  was  related,  each  setting  forth  some 
ludicrous  happening  that  had  befallen  one  or  another 
of  the  friendly  group. 

Although  the  Lake  and  Forest  Club  had  grown  and 
prospered  as  well  as  its  best  friends  could  wish, 
Claude  Emerson,  the  projector,  had  only  been  able  to 
get  tvogether  a  party  of  nine,  two  of  whom,  Foster  and 
Robbins,  were  honorary  members,  and  David  Wood  a 
new  member;  while  among  the  old  members  were 
Charles  VVingate,  Andrew  St,  Clair,  Frank  Maynard, 
Thomas  Le  Roy,'  and  Robert  Drake,  who  first  figures  in 
the  series  in  "Down  the  West  Branch." 

Many  other  members  of  the  club  would  have  been 
delighted  to  be  with  the  party,  but  the  length  of  time 
planned  for  the  excursion  was  more  than  they  could 
spare.  Philip  De  Ruyter,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  who  had 
met  some  of  the  members  of  the  club  on  their  first  trio, 
and  who  had  accompanied  them  on  their  second  and 
third  tours,  was  abroad  with  his  family,  who  were  to 
spend  the  summer  in  Europe. 

Phil  had  written  Claude  that  he  would  have  pre- 
ferred to  have  accompanied  his  friends  on  their  fourth 
trip  to  the  Maine  woods,  but  that  his  father  had  in- 
sisted upon  his  joining  the  family  in  their  foreign  tour. 
He  expressed  deep  regret  at  not  being  able  to  meet 
Foster  and  Robbins,  and  wished  to  be  kindly  r^:ep> 
bered  to  them.  Both  of  the  honorary  members  of  the 
club  were  also  disappointed  in  not  meeting  Phil,  as 
they  had  surely  expected  he  would  be  one  of  the  party. 
Three  new  boats,  longer  by  some  two  feet  than  the 


Behind  the  Iron  Horse. 


15 


« 


old  ones,  had  been  bought  for  the  present  excursion, 
and  had  been  named,  respectively,  the  Petrel,  the 
Swallow,  and  the  Daisy,  and  these,  with  the  baggage  of 
the  young  fellows,  took  up  such  a  space  in  the  baggage 
car  that"  the  head  "  smasher  i'  had  to  be  liberally 
•'  tipped "  in  order  to  have   the   boats  accompany  the 

partv. 

"it  sti ikes  me,  the  flies  will  be  rather  plenty,"  re- 
marked Robbins,  "  and  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  we  had  a 
lively  time  during  the  next  four  weeks." 

"  Of  course  we  shall  find  a  few,"  returned  Claude, 
with  a  laugh  and  a  wink  at  Foster.  "  But  we  are  well 
prepared  for  them  this  trip,  having  invested  in  a  liberal 
quantity  of  every  kind  of  '  fly  medicine  '  that  is  on  the 

market." 

•'  Do  you  remember  the  night  the  midges  went  for 
us  on  our  first  trip  to  the  lakes,  and  how  they  made 
Robbins  dance  ?  "  queried  Foster,  laughing  heartily  at 
the  remembrance. 

"  I  do,"  said  Wingate,  before  Claude  could  answer, 
"  and,  if  I  remember  rightly,  all  of  us  did  a  little  dan- 
cing that  night  — eh,  George  ?  "  giving  Robbins,  who  sat 
near  him,  a  slap  on  the  thigh. 

"  I  should  say  so.  !  don't  think  I  complained  any 
worse  than  the  rest  of  you." 

Foster's  question  started  a  train  of  thought  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  had  been  on  the  first  trip,  and 
incident  after  incident  was  related  by  one  and  another, 
which  seemed  to  keep  the  whole  party  in  a  jolly  mood, 
until  the  train  rolled  into  the  depot  at  Portsmouth. 

"Te..    minutes    for    refreshments,"    sang    out    the 


I 


up  the  North  Branch. 


U 


ill 


\ 


10  _ 

to  the  occupants.  ^  ,<  t 

"That's  me,"   declared  Wingate.  J"™P'"f  "P; 

had  an  early  breakfast  this  t,.orn,ng,  and  1  tcel  as 

could  cat  a  whole  moose."  ^ 

"  You'll  have  a  chanee  to  try  some  da>,    saul  Le  .«y, 

.after"  e  strike  the  North  Branch,"  and  he  arose  wth 

""Adams    was    the     champio.     feeder,"     remarked 
cJe,  as  they  left  the  car  ;"Se  could  eat  more  grub 

tor  his  si«  than  any  fellow  1  ever  knew.  _ 

"Then    it's    a   good    th.ng    he    ts    not    wUh    us 
answered  Maynard,  laugbing,  "for  «'  "->'    "«'  '"^ 
visions  pretty  scarce  before  we  get  to  the  end  of  th,s 

trin  " 

^"  4^  «nrQP   we  can  live   on   mosquito 

"  If  worse  comes  to  worse,  we  can  un^  n 

cnnn  "  su"-2ested  St.  Clair. 

"VgTeates.  objectionl  should  make  t.  th.t,  ,f  I 

„as  starving,"  replied  Claude,  ''would  be  tha.  tt  -ould 

take  too  many  for  a  meal.  „ 

"  Not  if  they  were  as  large  as  they  are  m  Jersej, 
Hu-hed  Wood.     "  I    was  down  there  once,  at  some 
beach  '  forrt  the  name  of  it  now,  and  the  mosqu.loes 
t"  simply  monsters.     Many  of  -.em  were  as  large  as 

""  rm'something  of  a  liar  myself,"  cried  Drake,  as 
tlie  par-y  went  sailing  into  the  lunch  room. 

The  ten  minutes  seemed  quickly  over  to  our  young 
friends,  and  they  returned  to  the  car  just  as  the  tram 
bean  to  i.iove  out  of  the  depot. 

between  Portsmouth  and  Kittery  the  tram  crosses 


Behind  the  Iron  Horse. 


17 


the  Piscalaqua  River,  on  a  bridge,  and  adjoinuig  it  on 
t'^e  north  side  is  another  bridge  for  public  travel,  the 
two  being  practically  one  structure.     When  the  tram 
reached  the  middle  of  the  bridge,  it  overtook   a  team, 
containing  a  man  and   woman,  that   was  going  ni   the 
same  direction,  and  the  horse  became  frightened   and 
ran  away.     Just  be^  ond  the  end  of  tho  bridge,  the  team 
collided  with  a  yol.e  of  oxen  hauling  a  V)ad  of  manure, 
and  the  glimpse  the  boys  h;.d  of  the  collision,  as  they 
shot  past  it,  showed  the  oxen  down,  and  the  horse  on 
top  of  them,  and  the  man  and  the  woman  f^ymg  through 
the  air  in  two  different  directions,  and  the  driver  of  the 
oxen  running  for  dear  life. 

"Well,  that  was  quite  a  circus,"  remarked  Wingate, 
when  the  party  had  resumed  their  seats. 

*'  Yes,"  answered  Claude.  "  I  iiope  those  people  in 
the  wagon  escaped  injury." 

" So  do  I,"  said  Wingate,  "but  I'll  risk  the  fellow 
that  drove  the  oxen  :  he  was  making  himself  scarce  with 
a  celerity  that  did  credit  to  his  understanding." 

''Say  that  ogain,  Charlie,"  quizzed  Maynard,  "  and 
put  hyphens  between  the  words  ;  I  can't  swallow  it  all 
at  one  mouthful." 

The  other  members  of  the  party  laughed. 
"  Well,  lie  ran  like  the  old  scratch,  then.     Does  that 
suit  sou  any  better?  " 

"More  to  the    point,    if   not   so  elegant,"    asserted 

Frank. 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  railroad  company  will  have  to 
p?y  the  damages  ? "  queried  Drake,  as  if  inviting  a» 
argument. 


fw 


up  the  North  Branch. 


-i 


t  I 


18  - - — 

1"^  -11  "  returned  Claude.     "  Railroads 

..  Of  course  they  wdlret.^rned  ^^^^^^   .^^   ^,^ 

are  bled  worse   than    any    other   c  ^^^  .   .^ 

market.     If  a  sawmi  ^    ^  ^,,,^  ,„ 

mile  from  a  railroad  track  the  o  v  ;  ^^^ 

prove  that  the  fire  caugl.t  from  the  sparks 

""Anything  r„ore.'"  questioned  Drake,  «ith  a  laugh, 

^•'fve^ttre't  U^fe": 'o'c  ^  --  ma.  Uvin. 
•  .  sTantV  bv  the  railroad  Iras  twins,  the  ccnpany 
;:  itnS  for  l.fe   with   the   support   of   the   e.tra 

'"one  Ion.  loud  shout  went  «p  at  this  remark,  and 
Une  lon„,  '  ;     conductor,  who 

the  laugh  was  jonied  m  b>   liie  ,,  ,.,,„ti„.s  clos- 

had  entered  the  car  just  in  tnne  to  catch  Llaudc 

'"^.  YoTwtld  make  a  good  corporation  counsel,  young 
man/"erarked  the  conductor,  as  he  began  pundnng 

"^^■D'olrget  to  Portland  the  same  tinte  the  train 
doe  '  '  "  asked  Foster,  as  he  winked  at  hrs  Ir.ends 

"j'hat  depends  upon  whether  you  stick  to  the  tram, 
-P«ed  the  rnan  with  the  ticket  P- 

"  Has  you  there,  bdl,    chucklea  =t. 

"Might  know  he  would,"  put  .n  ^.aynard.        \ou 
never  can  get  ahead  of  a  cotrductor,  foster. 

"Why  so?" 


•^ 


Behind  the  Iron  Horse. 


10 


Because  he  travels  as  fast  as  you  do,"  and  the  con- 
ductor ioined  in  the  laugh. 
"  '  Do  you  go  beyond  Portland,  conductor  ?      inquired 

"^^''No.      You  have    another   man   from   Portland    to 
Bangor.     How  far  are  you  going  ?  " 

"To  Skehowgan  by  rail." 

"Skowhegan,  you  mean,"  laughed  the  collector   of 

'""Yes  that's  the  fellow,"  returned  Claude.  "  And 
from  th^re  we  go  to  the  Forks  and  Moose  River  by 
stac^e  and  then  across  to  Moosehead  Lake,  and  way 
bev'l^nd  there.  I  don't  think  we  know  just  where  we 
are  going,  but  we  shall  bring  up  somewhere,  for  we  are 
off  for  a  '  Summers  Outing.'  " 

"  I  hope  vou  will  enjoy  yourselves,  and  you  seem 
capable  of  doing  it,"  replied  the  conductor,  as  he  eft 
them,  and  pulled  the  bell  cord  for  the  engineer  to  slow 
down  at  an  approaching  station. 

The  party  had  chartered  the  car  to  carry  them 
throu-h  to  Skowhegan,  and  while  they  were  waiting  for 
the  Maine  Central  train  the  porter  set  the  tables,  and 
thev  had  their  dinner  from  the  buffet. 

Beyond  Portland,  the  country  was  all  new  to  them, 
and  they  enjoyed  the  ride  to  Waterville,  via  Brunswick 
and  the  Kennebec  towns,  very  much,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  half  an  hour's  wait,  which  they  were  compelled 
to  take,  much  against  their  will,  between  Vassalbovo 
and  Winslow.  About  midway  between  these  two  places 
the  train  suddenly  stopped.  _ 

"What's    the   mat:er   now,    I    wonder!"    exclaimed 

Wood,  jmnping  to  his  feet. 


" investigate    and    find    out,"    ad.kd 

•    '•S"PPo^'=    "^     "    uL    .ar  door,  followed  by  his 
Chude,  starting  for  llie   rear  u 

'"""''■■  „  „  r.r  thcv  found  flame  and  smoke  pouring 
out  fr.un  one  of  lie  »'«^*  ,  ^^.„,  ,,,,ri„us  ar.i- 
,„em,  and  two  or  three  ^'^"^'"2,  tbout  the   wheel. 

"  l-«<»^^-'7  "'"         „V:,  "1  ,„e  men  were  at  work. 
''•'lTlrot:^'o:"':V:rned  Wingate.     "VVeshaU 

•^^Wattr^hrfLn  the  tender  and  the  bo^w.s 
cooled  off  sufficiently  for  the  men  to  shde  otf  tn.  co^e  , 

the  la..  P-^-'?";'>',;;- j;^,,  i„„  horse  began  his 
opened  the  throttle      ve.  ^id  ^^.^^^^^^^ 

journey  once  more     Waa  u  e  __^  ^^^^.^^^  ^^^^ 

;r;::t.en ^;r:'lv:.Ung  ..s  detached  from 
Ts  fellows  and  shifted  to  the  Skowhegan  tra.n. 

,^  fif"  n  minutes  they  were  under  way  agam,  on  the 
,  V,  nnd  Which  followed  the  Kennebec  quit^  closely 
branch  road  whtch  to  j,,,,  before  entering  the 

the  entire  distance,  crossin,  "J  . 

vilh<.e  The  engine  on  the  branch  wa»  not  as  hea%v 
V  tliose  used  on  the  main  line,  and.  having  the  ex.  a 
weight  of  the  I'ullnian  to  haul,  had  no.  been  able  to 


i>l 


Behind  the  Iron  Horse. 


•21 


j^^^^-;;— ;;;7;;^^^    drew  up  beside  the 

little  depot  half  an  hour  late.  ,  .^  ^^^, 

» Whit  hotel  do  we  go  to,  Claude,      queucu 
What  noiei  b  ^j^^.^  belongings, 

bins,  as  the  party  ^^«'"^  ^^  "  ^^^^r  who  could  size  up 

^vill  be  outside,  as  I  wrote  him  to  meet  us 

r^n^«rc  Qtenned  outside  the  cars, 
When  the  young  fellows  steppea  o 

thev  found  a  "sidewalk  committee      all  '^^^"^  ^^  'l 
fe    e  tren.  and,  by  the  way  they  were  I'tared  a     1    y 
concluded  that  .shing  panics  ...U^ 
Pullman  cars  were  rather  a  .io\ciiy  vw 

looktd  Ibou.  him.  .ot  at  all  relishing  the  scrutiny  he 
^''.- -mnsifname,"  replied  a  brish.-Iooking  young 
"r;CrC:;rietoronhe  Turner  House  r 

"  y  w^oie'you  about  rooms.     Did  you  get  my  letter  !" 

"  Yes.  sir,  and  have  saved  you  five  good  rooms.    Will 

■  ou  ride  or  wall;  to  the  house  ? "  .      .        j 

•    "  Walk  if  it  isVot  too  far,  after  I  see  our  boats  and 

ba"-'^a<ie  unloaded."  _, 

r-rhe  house  isn't  five  minutes'  walk  from  here      If 

you  will  give  me  your  checks,  1  will  have  my  man  load 

"'^:^e:^;£'' returned  Claude,  who  had  collected 


ff 


hi  I 


■i 


i     ! 

I  I 

1     I 

i  I 
I 
i 
\  ' 

i 
f 


I! 


22 


U/>  the  North  Branch. 


"What  have  you  lo 


them  all  before  leaving  the  car. 
haul  the  boats  in  ?  " 

•'  Nothing  here.  I  will  come  over  for  them  after  we 
take  the  baggage  to  the  house." 

*'That  will  do,  but  they  must  not  stay  on  this  plat- 
form to-night." 

"  Certainly  not,  sir.  I  will  have  them  at  the  house 
in  an  hour.  If  they  were  left  here,  every  boy  in  town 
would  be  in  them  before  morning." 

"That  is  what  I  supposed,"  returned  Claude,  dryly. 

When  the  boats  had  been  tak^^n  from  the  cars,  the 
owners  examined  them  carefully,  ind  found,  much  to 
their  satisfaction,  that  they  had  c  .me  through  in  good 
shape.  Satisfied  of  this,  they  walked  over  to  the  hotel, 
and  went  to  their  rooms  for  a  wash  before  supper. 

The  evening  was  passed  in  conversation  with  the 
driver  with  whom  they  were  to  ride  the  next  day,  in 
gaining  some  idea  of  the  road  to  the  Forks  ;  and  they 
found  him  pleasant  and  loquacious,  and  capable  of 
spinning  some  pretty  tough  yarns. 


to 


CHAPTER  11. 


fl 


EH   ROUTE  FOR  MOOSE  RIVER. 

The  party  had  a  good  night's  rest,  and  were  up 
bright  and  early  Tuesday  morning;  after  breakfast, 
Wingp.te,  who  was  treasurer  for  the  trip,  paid  the  bill, 
and  the  young  fellows  went  out  to  superintend  the  load- 
ing of  their  baggage,  so  that  nothing  should  b-  left 
behind. 

The  party  had  one  stage  entirely  to  themselves,  and 
they  were  obliged  to  hire  another  team  to  transport 
their  boats  and  stores;  and  Claude  made  arrangements 
with  Mr.  Heselton  to  take  them  the  entire  distance  to 
Moose  River  Bridge,  the  journey  occupying  the  batter 
part  of  two  days. 

At  last  everything  was  ready,  and  at  half  past  seven 
the  stage  and  team  left  the  hotel,  amid  the  cheers  of 
the  boys,  which  were  reechoed  by  the  bystanders.  It 
was  a  lovely  morning,  and  everybody  was  in  fine  spirits. 

The  stage  soon  left  the  team  with  the  boats  and 
stores  far  behind,  and  the  driver  said  they  would  not 
se^'  it  again  that  day,  unless  it  might  possibly  reach 
Bingham,  where  a  stop  was  made  for  dinner,  before  the 
party  left  there. 

"  What  time  do  v/e  reach  the  Forks  Hotel  ? "  in- 
quired Drake. 

23 


'fl^ 


24 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


ijii  1 


I 


"About  five  o'clock,"  returned  the  driver. 

"  Is  there  much  of  a  village  at  the  Forks,  driver?  " 

queried  Wood. 

«*  Scarcely  any.  It  is  a  ?ort  of  headquarters  for  lum- 
bering operations." 

As  the  horses  cleared  the  village  they  began  the 
ascent  of  a  hill  which  stretched  away  for  three  miles 
beyond  them,  and  during  this  climb  the  party,  looking 
back  occasionally,  obtained  some  fine  views  of  the 
receding  village. 

As  they  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  the  driver  pointed 
out  Madison  Pond  to  them,  a  pretty  sheet  of  water, 
which  lay  off  to  the  right,  and  was  distant  four  miles 
from  Skowhegan  village. 

"  How  large  is  that  pond,  driver  ?  "  inquired  Maynard. 

•*  It  covers  about  two  thousand  acres." 

*•  Any  fish  in  it  ? "  queiied  Le  Roy. 

"Yes,  there  are  several  kinds  of  trout,  and  Hayden, 
that's  his  house  we  are  now  passing,  has  row  and  sail 
boats  to  let.  There's  lots  of  people  come  out  here 
from  the  village  ».n  summer.  It's  just  a  nice  drive  out 
here  and  back." 

"  Aje  we  out  of  Skowhegan  yet?"  inquired  Robbins. 

"Yes,  we  passed  the  line  some  ways  back.  We're  in 
the  town  of  Madison  now.  and  the  next  one  we  come 
to  is  Solon." 

"What   is   that   high   hill    ahead,    driver?"    asked 

St.  Clair. 

"Robbins  Hill,  and  we  have  a  nice  view  from  it. 
You  can  look  all  over  the  country  from  the  top  of  that 
elevation." 


'II 


Eli  Route  for  Moose  River. 


or 


.?     " 


the 


4 


"  Win-,  Robbins,  voiir  fame  must  hiive  reached  down 
this  way,"  said  Maynard,  with  a  laugh,  "  or  they 
never  would  have  named  that  hill  for  you." 

"  A  prophet  is  not  without  Iionor  except  in  his  own 
country,"  quoted  Robbins,  with  a  wise  look. 

"  Have  you  the  cheek  to  insinuate  that  you  have  any 
claims  to  prophecy?"  inquired  Le  Roy. 

"Certainly.  And  I'll  give  you  proof  of  it  now.  It 
is  going  to  be  a  mighty  hot  day,"  and  Robbins  smiled 
as  if  he  had  said  a  good  thing. 

"  Any  fool  knows  that." 

"  That  Is  the  reason  you  know  it,  then,"  retorted  Rob- 
bins, with  a  laugh,  in  which  all  but  Le  Roy  joined. 

On  the  top  of  Robbins  Hill  the  driver  pulled  up  his 
horses  a  few  moments,  and  gave  the  young  gentlemen 
a  chance  to  enjoy  the  sightly  panorama  around  them, 
and  they  were  loud  in  its  praise.  Mountain  after 
mountain  swept  up  around  them  in  every  direction,  and 
Moxie  Mountain,  to  the  northward,  was  especially 
prominent. 

Five  miles  farther  on,  the  stage  entered  the  village 
of  Solon,  and  the  party  once  more  caught  sight  of  the 
Kennebec,  which  they  had  not  seen  since  leaving 
Skowhegan,  as  the  river  had  made  a  long  bend  to  the 
west,  while  the  road  over  which  they  had  travelled  ran 
almost  due  north. 

The  driver  had  an  errand  to  do  at  the  Carratunk 
House,  the  ore  hotel  of  the  village,  and,  while  the 
stage  stopped,  the  boys  visited  a  store  close  by,  and 
made  a  purchase  of  peanuts  and  candy,  as  Claude  said, 
"to  spoil  their  appetite  for  dinner." 


'fl^ 


n 


up  the  North  Branch. 


if  m 


\  ! 

i 


1        ? 

ii 


20 

"  When  they  had  star^^T^n,  the  driver  infortned 
the.u  that  Solon  was  fifteen  miles  from  .SUonhc:;an, 
and  that  Carratunk  Falls,  half  a  mile  distant  from  the 
hotel  they  had  just  left,  was  well  worth  seeing 

*'  We'll  take  your  word  for  it,"  said  Drake,  and 
I  suppose  there  is  good  fishing  about  here  too  ? ' 

"Splendid,"  replied  the  driver.  "There  are  lots  o 
people  come  here  every  year,  and  slop  for  the  trout 

fishing."  .  .    ,    ttf      1 

-  How  far  from  here  to  Bingham  ?"  queried  ^^  ood. 
-  Candy  and  peanuis  may  do  very  well  for  a  lunch,  but 
I  bec^i.i  to  feel  as  if  I  would  like  to  get  outr.uc  of  a 

good  dinner."  ., 

-Only  eight  miles,"  returned  the  kmght  of  the  rib- 
bons, " ind  it  is  good  roading  all  the  way.'         ^^ 

"  Is  the  river  in  sight  from  here  to  Bingham  ?  ques- 
tioned Robbins  of  the  driver. 

"  Yes,  all  the  way  from  here  to  the  Forks.  We  keep 
to  the  r'^ht  of  it,  and  sometimes  it  is  so  near  that  you 
could  jump  out  of  the  stage  into  it." 

"  That  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  this  hot  day. 
The  next  eight  miles  lay  through  a  good  farming 
countrv,  presenting   some    pretty    landscape  pictures, 
which  the  young  gentlemen,  with  their  artistic  percei> 
tion,  were  not  slow  to  appreciate. 

;^t  half  past  twelve  they  entered  the  village,  and  a 
few  moments  later  the  driver  pulled  up  his  horses  at 
ilie  hotel,  which  was  named  the  Stage  House,  and  was 
kept  at  that  time  by  a  Mr.  Savnge. 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  landlord  is  an  *  untutored  sav- 
age'?" queried  Wingate  of  Claude,  as  they  descended 
from  the  coach. 


Ell  Route  for  Moosr  River, 


27 


"Tell  you  better  after  I  sample  hisiliuiKr,"  returned 
his  friend,  with  a  laugh. 

The  partv  found  the  dituier  very  good,  and  were  not 
slow  in  disposing  of  their  part  of  it,  and,  after  appeasing 
their  hunger,  they  strolled  about  near  the  hotel  for  a 
few  monit'nts,  but  the  sun  was  so  hot  it  soon  drove 
them  within  doors, 

"  I  would  like  to  know  how  hot  it  is,"  remarked 
Claude,  as  the  boys  sat  down  in  the  office.  "  I  should 
think  it  was  about  five  hundred  in  the  shade." 

VVingate,  who  had  been  hunting  around  for  a  ther- 
mometer, and  had  f  'uid  one,  now  entered  and  an- 
nounced that  it  was  ninety-five  in  the  shade. 

"  Vou  see  my  prophecy  was  correct,"  remarked  Rob- 
bins,  with  a  chuckle. 

"  Oh,  let  up  on  the  weather/*  said  Foster. 
"  I  wish  it  would  let  up  on  us,"  added  St.  Clair. 
At  the  expiration  of  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  the  stage 
appeared  at  the  door,  and  the  joung  gentle'irm  re- 
sumed their  seats.  The  landlord  bade  them  "  good- 
bye," and  shouted  ♦'  good  luck  "  to  them  as  they  were 
whirled  rapidly  northward. 

Ikyond  Bingham,  the  boys  missed  the  telegraph  poles 
which  had  dotted  the  roadside  at  regular  intervals  from 
Skowhegan,  and  the  driver  informed  them  that  they  were 
now  bevond  the  reach  of  that  important  connection. 

Riding  out  from  Bingham,  they  found  the  hills  .apidly 
increasing  in  height,  and  the  valley  growing  narrower. 
A  chain  of  mountains  extends  from  the  Forks  down  to 
Bingham,  on  each  side  of  the  river,  enclosing  it  amid 
rocky  walls,  which  sometimes  almost  completely  over- 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


*>8 

it  grew  more  and  more  crooked,  but  UK  r 

as  a  foundation.  rlriver  in- 

Tho  nonions  that  had  been  dug  out,  the  drner  in 
torm:dr:w-rec.Ued-Mu,..ays.-a.« 

,„Ue  CrecuenUy,  ^ ^Zl^^:^^l <^. 
made  sharp  curves.     As  ihe    o-*;^  °      ,^„^.^  ,,,d 

of  these  bends,  someiunes  at  a  g^  '».'•  '  - 

rather  an  unpleasant  feeling  of  «""='";;  ''"^f^^;;. 
dent  in  such  a  locality  boded  no  good  to  the   pani 

"'"  Whv  do  vou  go  around  these  curves  on  the  dug- 
way  uc;    brrak.neck  speed.-  inquired  W.ngate 
2   they  had  swung  around  one  at  a  rate  t!,at  caused 
em  all  to  rise  in  their  seats  with  a  '^eh.^  oU^hnn 
"Oh,  the  faster  you  go  round  them  the  safe    tt  .s 
returned  the  driver,  as  he  sent  out  the  long  lash  of  h,s 
whip  with  a  cr.ack  around  the  '-d';'-;^  ^''''f ;      „        „,^ 
"That  is  all  nonsense,"  declared  Claude.        On  the 
othel  rand,  it  stands  to  reason  that  the  slower  you  turn 
:':  curve  the  safer  it  is,  and  just  be  kind  enough  not 
gallop  around  one  of  those  places  agaut.      1  he>e  is  a 
fogcther  too  much  e.xhilaration  tn  >t  'o  -''J    .    ^^, 
Jd  -re  ■  is  a  very  good  n.otio  as  appl.ed  to  th.s  case. 


ii 


Fit  Route  for  Moose  River. 


20 


'g- 


;re  is  al- 
.     '  Slow 


"All  ii4lit!"  rctunvjd  the  driver,  who,  liUe  most  of 
his  kind,  "was  willing  to  take  some  risk  for  the  sake  of 
showing  off,  "  I  will  slow  down  when  we  come  to  the 

next  one." 

"  Wo  went  througli  a  bridge  in  a  stage,  a  few  years 
ago.  while  on  one  of  our  trips,"  continued  Claude,  "but 
I  had  li'.iher  take  my  chances  in  a  place  like  that  a 
dozen  times,  thr.n  go  down  this  embankment.^^  Why,  it 
is  twentv-five  feet  to  the  river  in  some  places." 

**How  far  dye   fall   when   you   went   through   the 

bridge  ? " 

"Only  five  or  six  feet;  but  that  was  enough."^ 

"  There's  some  tote-teams  ahead  of  us,  and  it's  'bout 
time  we  were  overhauling  them,"  said  the  ciriver,  after 
quite  a  lull  in  the  conversation.  "  They  left  IJingham 
this  morning,  and  we  ought  to  pass  them  before  they 
reach  the  Forks." 

"  We  are  not  interested  in  the  tote-teams,"  remarked 
Wingate.  "What  do  you  call  this  mountain  on  the 
ri'TJit  of  us,  and  what  are  those  holes?  It  looks  as  if 
some  one  had  been  digging  there." 

"  So  there  has.  There  was  a  party  of  greenhorns 
from  New  York  down  here  in  1852,  who  dug  for  gold 
there.  But  they  got  so  rich  in  three  weeks  that 
they  didn't  have  to  dig  any  more,"  and  the  driver 
chuckled. 

"  Well,  there  is  certainly  iron  ore  there,  for  I  can  see 
it,"  replied  Maynard. 

"  Of  course,  you  can,"  added  the  driver.  "  Some 
people  say  that  mountain  is  full  of  minerals,  but  I  don't 
take  much  stock  in  it." 


rtf 


:     i    i 


' 


n 


!| 


1//I  the  Xorth  I'raiich. 


80 

Four  miles  fa;;;;:7^;iru;^y^<--<'  ^-""^'^  ''"';';•'' 

resort  for  sporlsme,,  an<l  hnnbcrn.en,  and  .l.e  c:ucr  u, 
;:":^cl  them  .....  q..i.e  a  1«.  of  ,oU.  Lad  been  found  n. 
a  small  stream  that  ran  near  the  house 

"  Any  fishtng  abou.  here?  "  in.,u,red  St.  Ua.r. 

"Lots  of  it,"  returned  the  captain  of  .he  c.alt. 
"Plea"  tn.  Rid^e  I'on.ls  and  Carryin,  I'laee  Ponds  are 
only  a  few  mile:  fron,  here,  and  lots  of  sports  vts.t  the.n 

'"™  do  they  get  the   most  .f,bUes  or  fish  r- 

queried  TJrakc.  .     n    ,•    „  " 

-  \V.  11,  I  should  kinder  say  bites,  in  fly  time.  ^^ 

"What  else  is  there   about  here  worth  knowing? 

"^Olt^^lerable.  You  see  that  flat  on  the  c^.er 
side  of  the  river,"  pointing  to  a  level  plateau.  W  f  1, 
that's  where  Arnold's  army  camped  during  their  march 

to  Canada."  ^,„  .      ,,  ^^ 

"Is  that  so?"  put  in  Claude      "  That  was   in    the 

winter  of  1775."  ,       ,,  1  .,1 

-      "We   are    near   historic    ground,    then,"    remarked 

"""  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  added  the  driver.  "  One  of  his 
„K-n  died  while  they  was  camped  there,  and  was  bun.d 
near  the  river,  and  there's  a  stone  there  now  that  marks 

the  spot."  .  ,  T-,   1  1  • 

"  I  wish  we  had  time  to  visit  it,"  said  kobbms. 
"So   do    I,"    agreed    Claude,    "but    we    can't    stop 

now."  ,     , 

"When  they  broke  camp,"  continued   the  narrator, 
"they  marched  across  country  to  the  Carrying   Place 


lit 


En  Routt' for  Moose  River. 


n 


Ponds  and  from  there  to  Dc^d  River,  Nvhere  he  camped 
a-ain,'  and  after  a  while  went  up  the  North  IJranch. 
Ihrou-h  Chain  Ponds,  and  then  into  Canada."       ^ 

"  fiis  men  suiTcred  a  great  deal  on  that  march,  said 
DraVce  ;  "  I  have  read  all  about  it." 

-We  are  going  throu-h  Moscow  now,"  said  the 
dr-ver,  after  quite  a  period  of  bilence  for  him.  "  This 
is  the  last  incorporated  town  this  way,  and  that  little 
villa;;e  ahead  is  Carralunk."  ^ 

"  How  far  is  it  from  there  to  the  Forks?      qut.  led 

Wood.  ,  , 

-  Nine  miles,  and  houses  are  few  and  far  between  the 

rest  of  the  distance." 

The  countr)  gre  wilder  as  they  travelled  onwards. 
Towering  pines  rose  from  the  mountain  on  the  right, 
and  to  tTie  left  the  river  tumbled  and  roared  on  its 
long  and  wearisome  journey  to  the  sea.  The  road, 
hemmed  in  by  mountain  and  river,  seemed  to  fight  for 
its  very  existence.  The  views  from  difTerent  turns  of 
the  highway  were  charming  and  picturesque,  and  some- 
times "npproached  the  sublime.  These  last  nine  miles 
seemed  the  shortest  part  of  the  distance  to  them,  so 
interested  were  they  in  the  scenery. 

As  they  drove  up  to  the  hotel  they  wore  surprised  to 
see  such  a  nice  house  so  far  back  from  any  large  settle- 
ment. P.ut  when  the  driver  told  them  that  Ex-Gover- 
nor Coburn  had  built  it  the  boys  ceased  to  wonder,  as 
they  had  heard  of  him  as  a  very  wealthy  man.  They 
found  the  rooms  large  and  handsomely  furnished,  and 
the  outlook  from  them  very  pleasant.  The  house  stood 
on  the  bank  of  the  East  Branch  (the  main  Kennrbe«), 


^r-^iF^-?-^tU 


M  -' W- 


ff^--  ^<m 


\ 


irf 

iiji 

i- 

i 

i 

! 

fill 

?  1 
si 

f 


«liiii't 

1  ;;i;t 


location  »as  very  a.iractn^.  ^^^^^  ^^^^^^,  ,,^^ 

The  two  branche»  "  "'^  '^  j^'      ^  j.-^.^^  „ent  down 
hotel,  and,  after  supper,  ^1^"  '^^^'  ^^^,,^,,  „f 

.he  road  a  short  dr.tance,  -«  ^  ^"'^     ^,^  ,„„  f,,,,,^, 
the  place,  that  was  ->-;.•  ^^.^^^  ^„^,,  ,,,^. 

re^,rtnrLr.!r.o.seas.o.a.,»^^ 
'°-i'::::i:^::r:=-:i;;Xdr.e. 

:r:;:i:,i;;ra;t;;™u;d"n:::et^ne,:dint,,. 

'''o,:r:^hf:,idcs,  a  very  persistent  tenow,  when  1. 

rot:;a:'::;:'orti:':n^;o.d.r..ofMo.ePond.^^^^ 

Mo.le  sue.™  -1  otlrer  J  ;«;--;'-  i;:;!.. 
of  good  fishnig.     HealsotoKii  ,  ,,;„i,   „,,,i 

sec°Moxie  Falls,  that  were  a  hundred  feet  h,gh,  and 
!"rv  beautiful.     liut   all    of    his   seduct.ve   argun  ents 
ri  tt  on  the  party,  who  were  an.ious  to  push  o 
toward  the  North  Branch  ;  as  Claude  told  hnn,     they 
had  no  time  for  side  shows."  ,       i      ,. 

At  h  If  pas.  seven  Wednesday  morn.ng  the   bo^ 
bade  adieu  to  the  Korks  Hotel  and  its  hosp,  aWe  Un  - 
lord   at.d  in  a  few  moments  the  stage  crossed  the  Ken 
Jb^c    V  n,ea„s  of  a  covered  wooden  br.dge,  fol  ow.ng 
he  "  old  Canada  road,"  as  it  is  called,  northward. 
Ue!d  River  was  in  sight  on  their  left  for  a  nr.le,  and 


4 


(J^frr" 


En  Route  for  ^Toosc  River. 


33 


then  the  road  made  a  sharp  bend  to  the  right,  and  they 
lost  sight  of  the  stream. 

"We  rise  over  eleven  hundred  feet  in  going  the 
next  ten  miles,"  volunteered  the  driver,  who,  having 
finished  his  morning  pipe,  was  now  ready  to  talk. 

"  We  shall  be  getting  up  in  the  world,"  suggested 

Maynard. 

*'This  is  a  bad  country  for  a  farmer,  I  should  think," 
remarked  Foster.     "The  land  is  very  rough  and  seems 


»» 


poor 

"  All  it's  fit  for  io  for  lumbering,"  added  the  driver. 

The  ride  through  this  heavily  timbered  country  in 
the  fresh  morning  air  was  delig!itful,  and,  as  each  ofc 
the  party  had  taken  from  their  baggage  some  kind  of 
fly  preparation,  they  got  on  with  the  flics  and  mosqui- 
toes quite  comfortably. 

The  forest  was  so  dense  that  but  little  could  be  seen 
except  for  a  few  yards  around  them,  but  occasionally 
they  rujght  a  glimpse  of  lofty  mountains  beyond,  whose 
appearance  invited  a  nearer  approach. 

"  What  house  is  that  ?  "  inquired  Wood  of  the  driver, 
as  they  passed  a  small  building  that  looked  like  a 
hotel. 

"That  is  Smith's,  and  you  had  better  take  a  good 
look  at  it,  for  you  won't  see  another  house  for  the  next 
ten  miles." 

"  Great  Scott ! "  exclaimed  Maynard,  "  this  is  a  \\\\- 
dc-'  jss  indeed." 

Ves,  it  is  in  somebody's  deed,  I  suppose,"  rj- 
marked  Wingate  to  his  friend,  with  a  wink  and  a 
smile. 


-f'-^ 


84 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"Now,  don't  begin  that  sort  of  thing,  Charlie,"  pro- 
tested Claude.     "  You'll  make  us  tired." 

"  Then  we  shall  be  in  the  same  condition  tiiat  our 
wheels  are  in  now,"  added  St.  Clair,  looking  as  solemn 

as  an  owl. 

"What  do  you  mean,  you  Jack  ?  "  inquired  Le  Roy. 

"  Why,  that  our  wheels  are  all  tired,  —  I'll  leave  it  to 
the  driver  if  they  are  not." 

"  That's  so  ;  darned  if  they  ain't,"  chuckled  the  con- 
ductor of  the  vehicle. 

As  they' reached  the  top  of  Johnson  Mountain,  which 
they  had  been  climbing  for  some  tii-.e,  they  obtained  a 
splendid  view  of  Bald  Mountain,  towering  high  above 
them  on  the  left.  As  the  stage  neared  the  limit  of  the 
woods,  they  passed  a  huge  bowlder  on  the  right  side  of 
the  road,  that  must  have  weighed  mary  tons. 

"  What  a  tremendous  great  rock  !  "  remarked  Wood. 

"  Yes,  and  some  fellow  with  his  little  hatchet  has 
split  it  in  halves,"  added  Drake. 

"There's  quite   a  story  about  that  rock,"  said  the 

driver. 

"  Let's  have  it,"  urged  St.  Clair.  "We  wish  to  buy 
everything  of  that  kind  for  either  cash  down  or  on  the 
instalment  plan  ;  so  fire  away." 

"  The  way  I  heard  it  was  that  several  years  ago  a 
man  in  Canada  stole  five  or  six  hundred  dollars  in  gold, 
and  come  down  into  Maine  with  it.  Being  afraid  ot 
getting  caught  with  the  money  about  him,  he  hid  it 
under  that  big  rock,  intending  to  come  back  some  time 
and  get  it.  But  before  he  had  a  chance  he  was  taken 
sick,  and  on  his  death-bed  told  the  story  of  his  theft, 


En  Route  for  Moose  River. 


85 


and  where  he  had  hid  the  money,  and  there's  been  lots 
of  fellers  here  a-diggin<;f  for  that  gold,  but  I  don't  be- 
lieve they  ever  found  it." 

"  Nor  I,  either,"  said  Claude. 

Leaving  the  woods,  they  came  in  sight  of  a  fine  sheet 
of  water,  which  the  driver  informed  them  was  Parlin 
Pon*-',  three  miles  long  and  a  mile  wide;  and  mid.vay 
of  this  pond  they  came  to  a  hotel,  the  Pu.lin  Pond 
House,  and  here  the  driver  hauled  up  his  horses,  telliiicr 
the  boys  that  this  wa-?  the  place  at  which  to  get  dinner. 
"  All  right,"  sang  out  St.  Clair.  "  I  am  ready  for 
dinner  as  soon  as  the  dinner  is  ready  for  me." 

"  So  say  we  all  of  us,"  sang  Le  Roy,  as  the  young 
fellows  jumped  out  of  the  wagon. 

"  This  is  a  prett>  place,"  said  Claude,  as  they  stopped 
a  moment  on  the  piazza  before  entering  the  house. 

"  Yes,  the  mountains  around  here  are  lovely,"  added 
Maynard,  "but,  great  Cassar's  ghost !  just  see  the  flics 
and  mosquitoes  gather  !  " 

"They  know  there  is  a  fresh  importation  of  city 
blood,  and  they  mean  to  collect  duties  on  it,"  said 
Robbins. 

**  What  are  the  names  of  those  two  .iigh  mountains  ?  " 
inquired  Drake  of  the  landlord,  who  now  appeared  and 
welcomed  the  boys. 

"  Oh,  those  are  Bean  Mountain  and  Hurricane  Moun- 
tain, and  there's  a  nice  trout  pond  on  top  of  old  Hurri- 
cane.    You  ought  to  go  up  there  fishing." 

"Thank  you.  Not  this  day.  Some  other  day. 
How  near  ready  is  dinner.?  I'm  as  hungry  as  the  tra- 
ditional wolf." 


3G 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  It's  all  ready  now.     Would  you  like  to  wash  ?  " 
"  Certainly."    And  Drake  followed  close  at  the  land- 
lord's heels,  while  the  rest  of  the  party,  like  a  flock  of 

sheep,  fell  into  line. 

After  dinner,  which  was  satisfactory  to  all  concerned, 
the  party  took  their  seats  for  their  last  piece  of  staging, 
a  distance  of  fifteen  miles. 

"  What  time  do  you  think  our  boats  and  stores  will 
reach  Moose  River,  Claude  ?  "  queried  Wood.^^ 

"  I  don't  know.     What  do  you  say,  driver?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  they'll  be  along  before  eight  or  nine 
o'clock.  You  can  see  yourself  what  a  lot  of  hills  a 
team  has  to  climb." 

"  Then  we  shall  have  to  stop  at  the  hotel  over  night," 

said  Maynard. 

"Certainly,"  added  Claude.  "It  will  be  much 
pleasanter  to  begin  our  water  trip  in  the  morning." 

Four  miles  beyond  Parlin  Pond  the  stage  halted  on  a 
lofty  eminence  in    Jackmantown,   known    as    Lookout 

Hill. 

"What  are  you  stopping  here  for ?"  inquired  Rob- 
bins. 

"  Partly  to  rest  the  horses,  and  paitly  to  let  you  take 
a  look  around.     I  call  it  a  nice  view  from  here." 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  acknowledged  Claude.  "  As  pretty  a 
view  as  I  have  ever  seen." 

After  a  few  moments'  stop  the  driver  startc  1  his 
horses  again,  and  on  they  went,  up  hill  and  down,  a^d, 
after  several  miles'  ride,  crossed  a  mountain,  known  as 
Owl's  Head,  nearly  all  the  distance  being  through  the 
woods. 


E7t  Route  for  Moose  River. 


37 


"  This  country  beats  all   the  places  I  ever  saw  for 

hills,"  said  Drake.  "It  is  up  and  down  all  the 
time." 

"  Well,   it's  not  so  monotonous  as  a   dead    level," 

added  Robbins. 

After  a  while  they  began  climbinf;^  another  high  hill, 
which  the  driver  told  them  was  the  last  one,  and  at  the 
top  of  this  they  cleared  the  forest,  and  below  them  l;iy 
Moose  River  valley  and  the  little  village  of  the  same 
name,  which  is  in  the  plantation  of  Holden.  The  long 
ranjie  of  mountains  that  divide  Maine  from  Canada, 
some  fifteen  miles  away,  stretched  like  a  wall  along  the 
horizon,  shutting  out  what  lay  beyond. 

It  was  three  o'clock  when  the  stage  drew  up  at  the 
little  hotel  just  beyond  the  bridge  that  spans  Mocje 
River,  and  the  driver  told  them  that  they  were  at  the 
Colby  House. 

"  My  stars  !  "  ejaculated  Wingate,  "  is  this  the  hotel  "> 
It  is  not  any  larger  than  a  beach  cottage." 

"  This  is  the  house,"  reiterated  the  driver,  who  was 
now  busy  unloading  the  baggage.  "I  guess  they  can 
manage  to  take  care  of  you  some  way," 

After  helping  unload  their  things,  they  went  inside 
and  found  the  landlady,  a  woman  being  the  proprietor, 
and  asked  her  if  she  could  accommodate  them  for  the 
night. 

'*  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  for  you,  and,  if  three  of  you 
will  sleep  in  one  room,  I  guess  I  can  manage  it." 

"  We  will  all  sleep  in  one  room,  ior  that  matter,"  re- 
plied Claude,  "  if  you  can  do  no  belter  for  us." 

"  That  will  not  be  necessary,  sir,"  returned  the  land- 


38 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


lady,  with  a  smile,  and,  telling  them  she  would  return 
soon,  vanished  from  their  presence. 

'\fter  the  dnver  had  taken  care  of  his  horses,  he 
came  into  the  office  and  told  the  boys  that  they  were  in 
the  custom  house. 

"  Custom  house  ?  Nonsense  !  "  replied  Maynard. 

"I'm  not  fooling,"  returned  the  driver,  laughing. 
"  We  are  only  a  few  miles  from  the  Canada  line,  and 
if  they  did  not  have  an  officer  here  there  would  be  lots 

of  smuggling  done." 

"  Well,  it's  about  the  most  unpretentious  custom 
housp  thit  I  ever  saw.  Uncle  Sam  does  not  jiut  on 
much  style  in  this  country,"  and  Claude  stared  around 
the  little  ten-by-twelve  office,  in  a  vain  attempt  to  com- 
pare  it  with  the  interior  of  the  Boston  custom  house. 

"  Do  you  know  the  way  from  here  to  Moosehead 
Lake  ?  "  inquired  the  driver. 

"  Certainly,  as  well  as  you  do,"  replied  Wingate. 

The  driver  laughed,  and  said,  "  If  you  don't  know  it 
any  better  than  I  do,  you  don't  know  much,  for  1  was 
never  there  in  my  life." 

"Well,  we  have  been  to  Moosehead,"  replied  Claude, 
"  but  not  this  way.  We  went  to  Katahdin  Iron  Works, 
and  across  country  from  there  to  Greenville." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  feel  afraid  of  getting  lost 
without  a  guide,  for  it's  a  wild  country  oetween  here 
and  Moosehead,  I  have  heard  the  lumbermen  say." 

"The  wilder,  the  better,"  put  in  St.  Clair.  *' We 
have  a  good  map  of  the  country,  and  a  copy  of  Farrar's 
♦Moosehead  Lake  and  the  North  Maine  Wilderness,' 
and  that  is  all  the  guide  wc  want.     I  don't  see  what  a 


'^ 


En  Route  for  Moose  River. 


39 


party  wants  of  a  guide,  any  way,  unless  for  croking,  and 
lugging  baggage.  And,"  with  a  smile,  "we  are  all 
pccomplished  cooks,  and  are  not  afraid  of  work.  We 
don't  do  any  at  home,  and  it  does  us  good  to  do  a 
little  when  we  get  into  the  woods." 

The  landlady  now  appeared  and  told  them  she  would 
show  them  their  rooms.  After  getting  located,  they 
carried  their  light  things  to  their  apartments,  and  then 
went  out  and  strolled  down  by  the  river.  After  supper 
they  sat  outdoors  until  the  arrival  of  the  team  w=Mi 
their  boats,  which  came  along  between  eight  and  nine, 
and,  after  seeing  everything  unloaded  and  taken  care 
of,  they  settled  up  with  the  teamsters,  and  made  them 
a  little  present ;  then  telling  the  man  of  all  work  to  give 
them  an  early  call  in  the  morning,  th-y  retired  to  rest, 
to  dream  of  moose-shooling  in  the  northern  wilderness. 


CHAPTER   III. 


iil'i  ri 


A   SURPRISE   AND    A    RACE. 

The  people  in  the  Colby  I:  t  were  early  risers, 
and  at  six  o'clock  Thursday  morning  the  party  had 
finished  bretikfast,  and,  after  Wingate  had  paid  the 
hotel  bill,  the  young  fellows  "  sacked  their  baggage 
and  stores  down  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  the 
teamster,  who  was  up  even  earlier  than  they  were,  had 
carried  their  boats. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  black  flies  and  mosquitoes 
had  heard  of  their  coming,  for,  as  Drake  remarked,  "if 
there  was  one,  there  was  a  millio»%"  and  before  launch- 
ing the  boats  they  besmeared  themselves  with  "Jumbo- 
line,"  "  Hind's  Black  Fly  Cream,"  or  whatever  else 
they  happened  to  have. 

"  Now,  fellows,"  said  Claude,  "  here  are  the  boats. 
To  the  best  of  my  belief,  one  is  as  good  as  another, 
but  if  anybody  has  a  choice  let  him  say  so." 

It   had   been    previously   determined    that    Claude, 
Foster,   and  Drake  should  be  the  crew  for  one  boat 
St.  Clair,  Robbins,  and  Wood  for  another,  and  Win- 
gate,  Maynard,  and  Le  Roy  for  the  third. 

"I  don't  see  any  difference  in  the  boats,  but  I  do  in 
the  names,"  said  Drake,  "and  I  prefer  the  Petnl. 
Let  us  take  that,  Claude." 

40 


A  Sutj'nsc  and  a  Race. 


41 


"It  n.  ..cs  no  difference  to  me.  As  Shakespeare 
says,  '  What's  in  a  name  ?  A  rose  by  any  other  name 
would  smell  as  sweet.'  " 

"  I  suppose  it  would  if  it  were  called  a  Daisy  for  in- 
stance," remarked  St.  Clair,  "  and,  if  no  fellow  objects, 
our  crew  will  take  the  Daisy P  ^ 

"  I  don't,"  chirruped  Wingate,  "  and  We,  Us  &  Co. 
will  sail  in  the  Swalhwr 

The  boats  were  now  launched  and  loaded,  each  one 
of  a  crew  carrying  his  own  belongings,  .side  a  third  of 
the  stores  and  company  baggage. 

The  crew  of  the  rdrd  was  made  up  with  Foster  as 
coxswain,  Emerson  as  stroke,  and  Drake  as  bow.  In 
the  Swalloio,  Le  Roy  was  coxswain,  Wingate  stroke, 
and  Maynard  bow.  And  the  Daisy's  billet  was  :  Rob- 
bins,  coxswain  ;  St.  Clair,  stroke  ;  and  Wood,  bow.  And 
the  crews,  like  the  boats,  were  very  w'ell  matched. 

When  everything  was  in  readiness  frr  a  stan,  Claude 
looked  at  his  watch,  and  found  it  wa?  seven  o'clock, 
and  from  the  feeling  of  the  air  it  gave  token  of  being  a 
hot  day.  "  Now,  fellows,"  he  said,  "  from  where  we 
are  standing  to  the  Mount  Kineo  House  is  about 
thirty-eight  miles.  It  is  possible  to  do  it  in  a  day,  but 
we  should  have  to  work  like  beavers  to  accomplish  it 
in  that  time." 

"Don't  let  us  hurry,"  remarked  Robbins.  "Two 
days  are  little  enough  to  do  it  in,  and  we  shall  probably 
have  some  carries  on  the  way.  I  say,  take  it  easy." 
"Good  advice,  Robbins,"  added  Maynard,  "and  I 
am  willing  to  accept  it  on  my  part.  We  want  a  chance 
to  see  the  country." 


-^0^'^ 


42 


C//>  ihe  North  Branch. 


'Tlicn  where  shall  we  dine,  and  \4here  shall  wc  stop 
to-night  ?  "  queried  Claude. 

"  For  one,  I  say  that  I  want  to  dine  at  some  piace 
where  I  can  catch  some  troui,  and  I  think  the  place 
selected  for  camping  to-night  ought  to  be  near  some 
good  lishing  ground,"  and  VVingate  glanced  around  at 
his  friends  to  learn  if  ".ny  of  them  were  of  his  way  of 
thinking. 

"  Thai's  the  idea,  old  fellow,"  put  in  Wood,  who  was 
out  on  his  first  trip  of  the  kind;  "  1  want  a  chance  to 
do  some  fishing." 

"  In  that  case,"  added  Claude  "  ^  think  we  had 
better  pull  to  Long  Pond  Outlet,  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles,  carry  jur  boats  and  luggage  around  the  dam, 
and  then  take  our  dinner  luere.  Probably  we  shall 
find  good  fishing  near  the  dam." 

"  That  will  suit  me,"  remarked  Le  Roy,  "  and  I  think 
twelve  miles  of  rowing  before  dinner  is  enough." 

"After  dinner,"  continued  Claude,  "we  can  run 
dow  *o  Brassau  Lake,  and  pull  over  to  Misery  Stream, 
where  we  ought  to  strike  some  trout,  and  camp  there 
to-night." 

No  one  made  any  objection  to  this  arrangement,  and 
it  was  decided  settled,  and  at  seven  o'clock  and  thirty 
minutes  the  boats  were  pushed  off  and  headed  down 
river,  the  Petrel  taking  the  lead,  closely  followed  by 
the  Swalloiv  and  Daisy. 

The  boys  noticed  that  there  was  not  much  of  a  cur- 
rent, and  the  water  had  the  appearance  of  being  deep. 
They  saw  chat  the  banks  of  the  river  were  low,  and  that 
most  of  the  land  on  either  side  had  been  cleared,  and 


1 


1     _ 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race. 


48 


was  uiulcr  cultivation.  'I'here  was  not  much  to  see 
along  the  rivvr,  but,  once  out  on  the  poiul,  ihcy  had 
some  pretty  views,  and  away  in  the  outh  several 
wooded  mountains  towered  toward  ti.-  sky.  The 
shores  of  the  lake  were  pretty,  and  were  wooded  most 
of  the  distance. 

They  p  issed  two  farms  on  the  left  or  north  shore, 
which,  like  most  everything  else  in  that  section,  be- 
longed to  the  Coburns  of  Skowhegan. 

As  they  pulled  along,  they  noticed  many  nice  camp- 
ing spots,  and  saw  also  that  the  lake  was  very  irregular 
in^'shape.  When  they  reached  \.\  narrows,  they  found 
the  lake  was  only  about  a  quarter  ot  a  mile  wide  at  that 
point,  and  that  in  th=  vicinity  rocks  were  very  plenty, 
and  not  far  under  water. 

The  fiist  intimation  they  had  of  them  was  when 
the  J\'tn'l  ran  on  top  of  one  and  came  within  an  ace 
of  capsizing. 

"  Look  out,  fellows,"  sang  out  Claude,  who  caught  a 
glimpse  of  several  rocks  under  water  close  to  him,  "we 
are  in  a  regular  'hop  bed.'  Row  slowly,  and  keep 
your  eyes  peeled  for  rocks,  or  you  will  bring  up  on 
top  of  one,  as  we  did." 

Luckily  for  the  bottom  of  the  Petrel,  it  was  a  smooth 
shelving  rock  that  she  had  struck,  and  she  cleared  it 
after  a  while,  with  no  other  mishap  than  taking  in  a 
little  water. 

For  a  mile  the  boys  rowed  slowly  and  carefully,  and 
it  was  not  until  the  lake  had  widened  to  a  half-mile  or 
more  that  they  dared  to  pull  their  regular  stroke.  On 
their  way  down  the  pond,  they  passed  tlic  Uui^^r  and 


44 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


Lower  Churchill  streams,  both  of  which  empty  in  on 
the  north  side,  but  they  did  not  go  very  near  them. 

There  was  scarcely  a  ripple  on  the  water,  and  the 
sun  poured  down  its  scorching  heat  with  a  power  that 
almost  wilted  them.  It  was  nearly  eleven  o'clock  when 
they  reached  the  dam,  and  very  glad  they  all  were  to 
jret  out  of  the  boats  for  a  while. 

"This  looks  like  a  new  dam,"  remarked  Foster,  as 
he  and  Claude  staggered  up  the  steep  bank  with  the 
Petrel. 

"  Yes,  it  is.  That  custom  I.ouse  offircr  at  the  hotel 
told  me  it  was  built  only  last  fall." 

"  '  Jerusalem,  my  happy  home  ! '  ain't  this  hot !  " 
exclaimed  P'oster,  as  he  and  Claude  stopped  on  top  of 
the  bank  a  moment,  while  B'ily  wiped  the  perspiration 
from  his  face. 

"Yes;  I'll  bet  any  fellow  a  hat  that  it's  between 
ninety  and  a  hundred.  I  don't  believe  we  shall  get 
many  fish  foi  dinner,  the  sun  is  so  bright.'' 

After  the  boats,  stores,  and  baggage  had  been  car- 
ried around  the  dam,  and  deposited  on  the  river  bank 
below,  Wood,  Drake,  Foster,  and  Maynard  went  fish- 
ing, and  the  remainder  of  the  party  cut  a  little  wood, 
and  made  preparations  for  dinner. 

"  Well,  Claude,"  said  ^'ingate,  "  what  shall  we  have 
for  dinner?" 

"I  don't  know.  It's  too  confounded  hot  to  cook 
much.  You  had  better  open  a  couple  of  cans  of  that 
chicken  and  corned  beef;  two  of  each  will  do,  and  I 
will  make  some  coffee,  and  we'll  try  hardtack  in  place 
of  bread.     If  they  catch  any  fish  we  will  cook  them, 


n 


»3-' 


t^i- 


I 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race. 


45 


ami,  in  the  meantime,  I  will  fry  some  potatoes;  Le 
Roy,  make  yourself  useful,  will  you,  instead  of  orna- 
mental, and  peel  and  slice  potatoes  enough  for  nine 
hungry  villains,  who  are  never  so  wicked  but  what 
they  can  eat." 

«'' That's  just  like  you,  Claude,"  cried  Le  Roy,  with  a 
laugh.  "Just  as  a  fellow  gets  comfortably  fixed,  you 
rou't  him  up,  and  set  him  at  work,"  and  Le  Roy,  with  a 
<Trunt,  crawled  out  from  under  the  shade  of  a  bush  that 
had  seemed  to  him  the  very  place  to  enjoy  a  few 
moments  before  dinner. 

About  half  past  twelve  the  fishermen  returned,  with 
only  six  small  trout,  as  a  result  of  their  patient  casting, 
ami  a  shout  of  derision  went  up  from  those  in  camp,  at 
the  exhibition  of  the  catch. 

"  I  <niess  you  have  been  asleep,  under  the  shade  of 
the  dam,"  remarked  Robbins,  as  he  took  the  fish,  which 
were  all  cleaned,  and  placed  them  in  the  frying-pan. 

"  Not  much  we  haven't.  But  1  should  like  to  have 
been,"  declared  Wood,  as  he  wiped  his  face  on  his 
handkerchief ;  "  I  don't  see  what  you  put  those  trout 
in  the  frying-pan  for.  You  leave  them  out  in  the  sun 
here  fifteen  minutes,  and  they  will  be  all  cooked." 

•'Well,  this  crowd   are   not  doing  any  sun  cooking 
to-day,"  replied  Wingate. 

"How  is  your  appetite,  boys?"  queried  Claude, 
about  fifteen  minutes  later.     "  Dinner  is  ready." 

"Oh,  hang  the  dinner,"  said  Drake.  "  I  don't  care 
for  any  ;  it's  too  hot  to  eat." 

"  You  had  better  take  something,"  advised  Wingate, 
"or  you'll  be  faint  before  supper." 


I 


46 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  I'll  take  a  mouthful  or  two,  if  you  think  best,"  and 
Claude,  who  acted  as  waiter,  helped  him  with  the 
others. 

Dinner   was   soon  disposed   of,   dishes   washed    up, 
everything  packed,  and  soon  they  were  afloat,  running 
down  the   river,  which  was  unusually  high,  nearly  all 
the  gates  in  the  dam  having  been  opened  a  few  days 
before.     This  was  a  good  thing  for  them,  as  it  saved 
their  carrying  around  Stony  Brook  Rapids,  and    they 
made   only  one    carry,  around    the   Rolling  Dam.     A 
good  road  follows  the  left  bank  of  the  river  to  a  point 
about  a  mile  beyond  Little  Brassau  ;   but  the  day  was 
so  warm  that  all  the  boys  took   their  chances  in   the 
boats,   there    not   being    any  show   for   game    if   they 
walked,  the  season  not  being  far  enough  advanced. 

As  they  floated  out  into  Little  Brassau,  however, 
they  met  with  a  genuine  surprise.  For  standing  in  the 
water,  nearly  up  to  his  belly,  was  a  moose,  the" largest 
that  any  of  the  young  fellows  had  ever  seen. 

The  Petrel  was  the  head  boat,  and  Foster  was  tlie 
first  to  discover  the  moose,  which  was  only  a  few  rods 
from  them.  He  whispered  to  Drake  and  Claude,  and 
they  ceased  rowing,  and  Claude  beckoned  to  the  other 
two  crews  to  stop  also. 

Each  one  of  the  party  now  watched  the  moose,  which 
seemed    strangely   oblivious   of    tiicir   presence        He 
would  drink  a  few  swallows,  and  then  gaze  about  him 
then  walk  a  few  step.,  and  then  drink  again. 

"Don't  1  wish  it  was  October!''  whispered  Foster 
to  Claude,  and  looked  with  longing  eyes  toward  the 
moose. 


n 


:■! 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race. 


47 


The  huge  animal  was  the  target  of  admiration  for 
the  whole  party  foi  uve  minutes  or  more,  and  then  he 
turned  slowly  towaids  the  boys,  to  wade  to  shore.  As 
his  head  swung  around,  he  discovered  his  appreciative 
audience,  but  he  did  not  stop  to  cultivate  their  ac- 
quaintance. 

With  a  frightened  snort  he  dashed  for  the  shore,  the 
boys  giving  a  yell,  as  he  cleared  the  water,  which  served 
to  start  him  off  at  the  speed  of  a  race  horse. 

"  By  gracious !  "  exclaimed  Wood,  when  the  war 
whoop  had  died  away,  "  that  is  the  first  moose  that  I 
ever  saw.     What  a  monster  he  was." 

"Now  you're  shouting,"  replied  St.  Clair,  "just 
think  of  shooting  one  of  those  fellows." 

"  I'd  give  fifty  dollars  to  shoot  one  as  large  as  that. 
But  I  don't  believe  I  could  have  hit  this  one  if  I  had 
fired  at  him.     I  was  so  excited  I  shook  all  over." 

"That's  the  way  with  a  tenderfoot,"  chuck  '  Rob- 
bins. 

"  Well,  I  know  I'm  green  at  this  camping-out  busi- 
ness, but  I'll  be  as  fresh  as  any  of  you  before  we  get 
back,"  retorted  Wood. 

"  I'll  tell  you  one  thing,  fellows,"  remarked  May- 
nard,  "we  don't  want  to  say  anything  about  that  moose 
while  we  are  at  Kineo.  If  we  do,  there'll  be  a  lot 
of  those  guides  after  him,  and  any  of  them  would 
shoot  him  as  quick  now  as  they  would  in  the  open 
season." 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Claude,  "and  we  had  better  all 
follow  Maynard's  suggestion,  and  keep  mum  about 
seeing  the  moose.     But  we  have  lost  time  enough  here ; 


48 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


jT7:T| 


M 


Misery  Sands  are  eight  miles  away ;  and  tiie  sooner  we 
start,  the  sooner  we'll  get  there." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  'Misery  Sands,'"  said 
Le  Roy,  with  a  disconsolate  look  on  his  face,  *'  but  f 
know  that  Misery  is  right  here,  now," 

"  What  are  you  driving  at,  Tommy  ? "  inquired 
Wingate. 

"  Isn't  it  misery  enough  to  be  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  a  moose,  and  not  be  able  to  shoot  at  him  ? " 

"  Correct  you  are,"  answered  St.  Clair,  "  but  the  law 
must  be  obeyed." 

"  I  suppose  so ;  but  it  goes  awfully  against  the  grain 
in  a  case  like  that." 

"  So  much  the  more  honor  in  keeping  the  law," 
added  Foster. 

"You  are  right,  young  man,"  said  Claude,  with  a 
laugh.  "Away  we  go  now,"  he  added  to  Drake,  and 
the  Petrel  was  once  more  moving  down  river. 

"  I  think  this  river  very  appropriately  named,"  re- 
marked Drake,  as  he  tugged  away  at  his  oar. 

"  Yes,"  added  Foster,  "  we  have  seen  to-day  that  the 
stream  is  fitly  christened." 

"There's  Tom  Fletcher  Brook,"  said  St.  Clair,  as 
they  passed  the  mouth  of  a  stream  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  river,  named  after  a  trapper  who  was  drowned  in 
this  vicinity  several  years  ago. 

"  Who  was  he  ? "  queried  VV^ood,  with  a  smile. 

"  Tom  Fletcher }  Oh,  he  was  the  first  man  that  ever 
fished  the  brook,"  and  St.  Clair  winked  to  Robbins. 

"  You're  sure  of  that,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Certainly  !     I've  got  the  papers  to  show  for  it." 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race. 


40 


"  I  can  swear  to  that,"  added  Robbiiis,  with  a  chuckle, 
*'  for  they're  in  my  safe." 

*'  How  much  do  you  suppose  that  moose  would  weigh, 
Tommy  ?  "  questioned  VVingate. 

"  Twice  as  much  as  half,"  answered  Le  Roy,  laughing. 

*'  Squit  your  fooling.  What  do  you  think  he'd 
weigh  ? " 

"Oh,  I  should  set  him  at  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred." 

"  Ounces  ?  "  queried  Maynard,  saucily. 

"  No,  tons,  you  jackass  !  "  shouted  Le  Roy,  and  May- 
nard collapsed. 

From  Little  Brassau  down  to  the  lake  it  was  all  good 
water,  and  the  boats  were  propelled  easily,  most  of  the 
time  being  quite  near  together,  so  that  conversation 
between  the  occupants  of  the  different  boats  was  car- 
ried on  occasionally. 

As  the  fleet  cleared  the  river  and  floated  out  on  the 
larger  expanse  of  the  lake,  the  Petrel^  a  little  in  the 
lead,  was  turned  to  the  southeast. 

"  Do  you  remember  those  races  we  had  at  the 
Richardson  Lakes,  Claude,  on  our  first  camping-out 
trip,"  and  a  tinge  of  color  carre  into  Foster's  face,  as 
his  mind  ran  back  to  that  summer. 

"  Certainly  I  do.  !  don't  think  I  shall  ever  forget 
them.    What  fun  we  had  !  " 

*'  What's  the  matter  with  having  some  now  "i  "  queried 
Drake.  "  We  are  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  boys ;  sup- 
pose we  keep  there  ?  " 

"Pull  a  little  stronger  stroke,  then,  and  we'll  gain 
two  or  three  boat's  lengths  on  those  fellows,  before  they 
find  out  what  time  o'  dav  it  is,"  and  Foster  planred 


50 


Vp  the  North  Brauch. 


slvK  arouiul  at  the  other  boats  to  notice  how  far  they 
wore  behiiul. 

i'laiKle  ami  Drake  accepted  the  coxswain's  sugges- 
tion, and  began  to  put  a  little  more  muscle  into  their 
strokes,  and  to  lengthen  tliem  a  trifle,  the  result  being 
a  gap  of  three  or  four  hundred  feet  between  the  Pctrd 
and  the  other  boats  before  their  crews  discovered  it. 

••r>v  the  Great  Horn  Spoon!"  exclaimed  Le  Roy, 
who  was  the  first  to  notice  how  the  Pdrel  was  creeping 
away,  "  Foster  is  up  to  his  old  tricks  agaia.  He's 
stolen  a  march  on  us." 

*'\Vhat  do  you  mean?"  cried  Wingate  and  Maynard 
in  one  breath. 

"I  mean  that  the  Petrel  is  running  away  from  us. 
Look  for  yourselves." 

The  crew  of  the  Swallow  turned  their  heads,  and  at 
a  glance  saw  the  game  the  Petrels  were  playing.  Then 
thev  bent  to  their  oars,  and  the  Swallow  skimmed  the 
water  nearly  as  lightly  as  its  namesake. 

"Pull,  Charlie,"  urged  Frank  Maynard,  "we'll  over- 
haul the  y^f/rf/ yet." 

"  If  rve  don't  do  that,  we  won't  let  the  Daisy  over- 
haul us,"  and  Wingate  settled  down  to  business. 

The  coxswain  of  the  Daisy,  Kobbins,  had  just 
finished  a  funny  story  about  negro  life  in  Florida,  whicli 
had  elicited  a  hearty  laugh  from  his  crew,  when,  glan- 
cing toward  the  boats  ahead,  he  saw  that  the  others  were 
fast  leaving  him,  and  he  began  to  get  excited. 

"Oh,  see  here,  fellows,  this  won't  do.  Quit  your 
laugiiing  and  pull  like  the  old  scratch.  The  Petrel  and 
Swallow  are  running  away  from  us." 


A  Siir/tris,^  a  fid  a  Race. 


51 


St.  Clair  and  Wood  glanced  in  the  direction  '  the 
other  boats,  and  then  quickened  their  strokes. 

"  By  gracious ! "  exclaimed  Wood,  **  it*s  a  race. 
Pull,  St.  Clair,  we  are  not  going  in  third  if  I  can 
help  it." 

*'  All  right !  I'll  do  my  best,  Dave,  but  they  have  the 
start  of  us." 

The  crews  of  all  the  boats  were  now  thoroughly  inter- 
ested in  the  contest,  and  were  all  pulling  the  best  they 
were  capable  of.  But  they  were  pretty  well  matched, 
and,  although  the  boats  were  moving  much  faster  than 
they  had  before,  the  relative  distance  between  them 
was  the  same. 

'*  Well,  Foster,  the  Daisies  have  woke  up  at  last," 
said  Claude,  "  and  they  are  just  humping  her." 

*'  Let  them  hump,"  replied  the  coxswain,  as  he  turned 
around  to  look  at  them,  *'  they'll  have  to  stop  and  spit 
on  their  hands  if  they  catch  us  to-day." 

"  A  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase,"  added  Drake,  with 
a  grin,  and  he  pulled  just  a  little  harder,  if  anything, 
than  before. 

*'  Do  we  gain  on  the  Petrel  any,  Le  Roy  ? "  queried 
Wingate,  when  ten  minutes  had  been  wiped  out  of  the 
book  of  time.  • 

"  Not  a  gain,"  replied  the  coxswain,  "it's  a  regular 
nip-and-tuck  business." 

"  The  Daisy  is  creeping  up  on  us  a  little,  or  else  I 
imagine  it,"  puffed  Maynard. 

"Well,  I  guess  you  imagine  it,  then  !"  declared  Le 
Roy,  after  turning  and  taking  a  look  at  his  friends. 
"Bend  your  backs  —  don't  be  afraid  of  a  little  muscle; 


^ 


f 


#t( 


no 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


if  you  let  those  fellows  pull  by  us  you  haven't  pride 
enousjh  for  .1  cockroach." 

"  What  the  dickens  has  pride  tc  do  with  a  cock- 
roach ? "  queried  VVingate. 

''  That's  the  conundrum,  Charlie.     When  you  answer 

it,  I'll  give  you  another." 

'By  direction  of  Claude,  Fost-r  was  steering  for 
Misery  Sands,  and,  when  within  a  mile  of  the  beach,  an 
incident  happened  that  lost  the  Petrel  the  race. 

While   f-oing   at  her  highest    speed   she    suddenly 
stopped  so  abruptly  as  to  pitch  every  fellow  in  her 
toward  the  bow  of   the  boat,  and  for  a  moment  her 
crew  thought  there  had  been  an  earthquake,  or  some 
other  great  commotion.     They  were  all  piled  up  to- 
geiherrand  as  soon  as  they  could  collect  their  wits, 
they  regained  their  places,  and  began  an  investigation. 
The)" found  the  situation  of  the  beat  most  peculiar 
for  it  had  run  into  the  crotch  of  an  old  water-soaked 
tree    that   was  floating  about  the  lake,  whose  prongs 
were  just  even  with  the  top  of  the  water ;    the  Petrel 
had  struck  fairly  between  the  two  limbs,  and  had  gone 
into  the  openipcr  about  a  third  of  her  length,  and  then 
brought  up  as  solid  as  if  she  was  fastened  in  a  vise. 
.  A  thorough  investigation  showed  that  the  boat  was 
not   injured,  which   was  wonderful    under  the  circum- 
stances; but  it  was  liable  to  be,  if  not  soon  freed  from 
the  grasp  of  the  drifting  tree,  as  the  pressure  was  so 
strong  that  tlie  Petrel's  ribs  were  sprung  a  little  out  of 
shape.     That  the  light  craft  had  not  collapsed,  when  it 
brought  up  so  suddenly,  was  due  to  the  heavy  load  it 
carried. 


A  Surprise  and  a  Race. 


53 


"What  is  the  matter?  "  called  Le  Roy,  a:»  'he  Swal- 
iow  came  near  them,  and  her  crew  ceased  rowing. 

"We  are  in  the  jaws  of  a  sea-serpent,"  replied 
Claude,  who  was  studying  the  situation. 

"  Is  your  boat  hurt  any  ? "  ^^ 

"Not  much,  I  guess,"  answered  Foster.  "Shes 
having  a  reguhir  bear  hug  just  now,  but  she'll  come  out 
of  it  all  right,  I  guess." 

"  Do  you  want  any  help  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  returned  Claude ;  "  we  have  one  of 

the  axes  with  us." 

The  Daisy  dashed  up  to  the  scene  of  the  mishap 
just  in  ti'ne  (or  her  crew  to  hear  Claude's  last  remark, 
and  Robbins,  who  was  quick  to  catch  at  any  advan- 

Hge,  said,  — 

"  Pull,  fellows,  for  all  you're  worth.  Now  is  our  time. 
You  heard  what  Claude  said  ;  they  don't  require  help. 
Pull  now  like  sardines  before  the  Swallows  get  under 

way  again."  ,     ,    t      -n 

"  We'll  go  on,  then,  Claude,"  remarked  Le  Roy  ; 
"you'll  find  us  at  the  beach.     Give  way,  fellows." 

IJeforc  the  crew  of  the  Swalhm  had  given  the  f^rst 
dip  to  their  oars,  the  Daisy  shot  by  them  like  a  streak 
of  li-htning,  and  Robbins  called  cut,  "  I  say.  Tommy, 
throw  us  your  painter,  and  we'll  tow  you  to  shore." 

"  What  gall  1 "  remarked  Le  Roy  to  his  crew.  "  Are 
you  going  to  stand  that  ?  " 

"  I'm  not,"  replied  Wingate,  laughing,  "  I'm  sitting 

down  to  it."  ^ 

"  No  joking  I  "  cried  the  coxswain,  indignantly.  '  1- 
was  a  mean  trick  for  those  fellows  to  pass  us  that  way. 


6A 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


They  never  even  stopped  to  see  if  the  Petrels  needed 
help.     All  they  cared  for  was  gettin<j  the  lead." 

♦'  You  wrong  them,  Tommy,"  replied  Maynard. 
"They  heard  Claude's  answer  to  your  last  question, 
and  they  took  advantage  of  it ;  that  was  nil.  Trust 
Robbins  for  improving  all  the  chances.  George  hasn't 
been  in  Florida  long  enough  yet  for  the  climate  to 
spoil  him." 

"  It's  no  use,  Le  Roy,"  remarked  Wingate,  after  a 
glance  over  his  shoulder  at  the  Daisy.  "They  are 
six  boat-lengths  ahead  of  us  now,  and  we  are  not  more 
than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  shore." 

"  Let's  try  a  spurt,"  suggested  Wingate,  "  and  sec  if 
we  can  gain  on  them  any.  Quicken  your  sirokj, 
Charlie." 

"  All  right,  here  goes,"  and  the  stroke  oar  of  the 
Swallow  began  pulling  a  rattler 

The  increased  speed  had  the  cifect  of  shortening  the 
distance  between  the  nvals  but  a  short  time,  for  the 
moment  the  Daisy's  crew  noticed  that  the  Swallows 
were  closing  the  gap  they  quickened  their  stroke  also, 
determined  to  hold  all  the  advantage  they  had  gained. 
And  they  succeeded  in  doing  it,  for  shortly  after  the 
boat  ran  up  on  the  smooth  sand  of  the  beach,  and  the 
race  was  won.  The  Swallow  was  no  great  distance 
behind,  and  by  the  time  the  two  boats'  crews  unloaded 
their  stores  and  baggage  the  Petrels  had  succeeded 
in  freeing  themselves  from  the  "sea-serpent,"  and  were 
making  good  progress  toward  the  landing. 


il 


4 


t 


i 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   FIRST   NIGHT'L   CAMP. 

.-  How  do  you  like  the  &.„/&»,  U-  Roy  ? "  inquired 
Robbins,  wlJe  the  boys  were  waiung  for  the.  fr>end.. 

"  First  rate,  I  don't  want  any  better  boat. 

"Oh  site's  a  good  boat,"  replied  (.eorge,  '>ut  a 
,Ht,c  slow  -yes,'a  very  iittie  slow,"  and  ite  wtnked  at 
the  discon.fued  Swallows,  and  smiled  sancilj-. 

"You're  a  blower,  George,"  declared  Wmgate. 
"  YoT,  know  we  didn't  have  a  fair  show.  If  s  my  opin- 
ion we  can  beat  you,  and  we  are  ready  to  ry  U  a  am 
any  time  -eh,  boys  ? "  with  a  quesfon.ng  glance  at  the 

Swallows.  ,,      1    T         13^,,    «'  nnfl    \ 

-Fhose  are  my  sentL-nents,"  added  Le  Roy,  and  I 
believe  the  5...//...  can  skim  away  from  your  old  tub 
as  easily  as  her  namesake  can  from  a  hen. 

"Old  tub!"   cried   Wood,    uKlignantly.        The  nex 

,  ■  fl^.f    wp'll  leave  vou  hull  down  if 

time  we  catch  you  afloat,  ^^e  u  leave  )u 

there's  room  to  do  it."  .     ,  r-in„rlA   n«; 

"  What's  all  the  chaffing  about  ? "  mquirea  Claude,  as 

the  /V/rt'/  slid  up  on  the  beach.  ■   „  ,u^ 

"Why  the  Daisies  are  so  conceited  over  wmmng  the 
race  i   >-u  can  call  it  a  race  under  the  circumstances 
Tat'you  cn't  touch  one  of  theif.  with  a  ten-foot  pole, 
and  Le  Roy  laughed  derisively. 


55 


56 


Up  the  North  Brauch. 


i  % 


"Sour  grapes!"  cried  St.  Clair,  rubbin-  his  finger 
up  and  down  his  nose  in  the  most  exasperating  manner. 

"  Oh,  bother  the  race  !  "  chipped  in  Drake.  "  'Hie 
great  question  of  the  day  is,  when  shall  we  have  supper, 
and  what  are  we  going  to  have  >  I'm  as  hungry  as  a 
woJf." 

"  Will  you  eat  raw  chickens .? "  queried  Foster,  with  a 
smile. 

"Of  course  not,  you  sand-lotter  from  the  Pacific 
slope." 

"Then  you're  not  as  hungry  as  a  wolf.  Because  a 
wolf  will  every  time."- 

"  Has  you  there.  Bob,"  chuckled  Wingate. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Lake  and  Forest  Club  I  "  call  d 
Claude. 

"  Hear  !  hear ! "  shouted  several. 

"  It  is  now  5  :  30  by  the  tov.n  clock,  or  rather  by  mv 
watch,  and  I  propose  that  three  of  the  partv  row  around 
to  the  mouth  of  Misery  Stream,  which  lies  just  .eyond 
us,  and  see  if  there  are  any  trout  in  the  market.  Tint 
three  others  prepare  a  camp  for  the  night,  and  that  the 
other  three  members  get  the  supper.  Now,  who  will 
tempt  the  trout  t  " 

"  I !  "  shouted  Wood  ;  ''  and  I,"  "  and  I !  "  added  Win- 
gate  and  Drake. 

Stand  not  upon  the  order  of  your  going,  but  go  at 
once  then,"  said  Claude,  "and  may  good  luck  attend 
you." 

"Is  that  fellow  stopping  round  here,  Claude'" 
quened  Drak.,  with  a  wink  at  the  other  members  of 
the  party. 


The  First  Night  "s  Camp. 


51 


I 


"  I  can  tell  you  better  when  1  see  hosv  many  fish  you 
bring  back,"  replied  Claude,  who  was  never  at  loss  for 
ao  answer  to  any  chaffing. 

The  fishermen  jointed  their  rods,  found  their  fly- 
hooks,  and,  after  smCc  g  taeir  hands  and  faces  plenti- 
fully with  "fly  medicine,"  not  forg  .ting  to  pocket  a 
supply  of  it,  launched  the  S'wallo.o,  and  pulled  around 
to  the  mouth  of  Misery  Stream,  which  they  thought  the 
most  likely  place  for  furnishing  the  trout. 

"  Now,  who  will  build  the  camp  ?  "  questioned  CUiude. 
"  Remember,  this  5s  rdl  volunteer  service.  We  will 
arrange  the  regular  crews  for  cooking  and  other  duties 
before  we  leave  Kineo." 

"  I  for  one,"  said  Foster,  and  he  was  joined  by  May- 
nard  and  St.  Clair. 

"  Then,  it  remains  for  I.e  Roy,  Robbins,  and  myse  ' 
to  provide  supper." 

"And  the  soor,er  you  get  it  the  better,"  added 
Foster. 

The  three  camp-builders  now  turned  their  attent'cn 
to  preparing  a  shelter  for  the  night,  while  the  three 
cooks  made  preparations  for  supper. 

"  You  act  as  chef,  Claude,"  suggested  Le  Roy,  "  and 
Robbins  and  I  will  assist ;  and,  as  a  fire  is  the  first  thing 
needed,  I  will  cut  some  wood." 

"  And  I'll  bring  some  water,"  added  Roijbins. 

"  And  I'll  overhaul  the  stores  and  see  what  we  have 
to  eat,"  remarked  Claude,  a''  he  commenced  an  inspec- 
tion of  the  commissary  department. 

Before  proceeding  to  their  duties,  each  of  the  shore 
party  was  compelled  to    anoint  himself  with  the    fly 


58 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


compound,  for  the  mosquitoes  had  reached  the  caini> 
'\\\z  iiroutid  about  as  soon  as  the  members  of  the 
club,  and  were  presenting  thtir  bills  wiih  a  prompt 
demand  for  settlement. 

The  weather  was  so  warm  that  a  very  slight  shelter 
with  a  fire  in  front  would  answer  for  the  night,  and  the 
camp-builders  decided  on  a  *'  lean-to  "  as  the  easiest  to 
build,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  they  found  plenty 
of  material  for  their  purpose.  It  took  them  about  an 
hour  to  construct  a  camp  to  their  liking,  and  then  they 
felled  and  cut  up  sufficient  trees  to  enable  them  to 
keep  a  blaze  all  niglit,  and  in  front  of  the  camp  they 
arranged  a  large  pile  of  fuel  all  ready  to  fire  after  dark, 
and  piled  the  balance  near,  where  it  could  be  got  at 
easily.  Then  they  joined  the  cocking  party  to  see  how 
supper  was  progressing.  Their  work  had  given  them  a 
good  appetite,  and  they  were  anxious  for  an  opportu- 
nity to  satisfy  it. 

"What  is  the  bill  of  fare,  Claude  ?  "  inquired  Foster, 
as  the  camp-builders  gathered  around  the  cooks'  fire. 

"  Cold  corned  beef,  currant  jelly,  fried  potatoes, 
hot  biscuit,  and  fried  trout,  if  the  boys  bring  in  any 
fish." 

"  We  shall  soon  know  what  luck  they  have  had,  for 
here  they  come,"  added  Maynard. 

In  a  few  moments  the  fisliermen  were  on  shore,  exhib- 
iting a  handsome  string  of  thirty  trout,  averaging  over 
half  a  pound  each.  As  they  were  all  dressed,  some  of 
them  were  put  in  the  frying-pan  at  once,  and  in  the 
course  of  thirty  minutes  they  were  all  cooked,  and 
Claude  announced  that  supper  *vas  ready. 


The  First  Night 's  Camp. 


59 


Tin  plates,  cups,  knives  and  forks  were  brought  forth, 
and  each  one  helped  himself;  and  then  they  squatted 
aroun«l  in  a  circle  and  proceeded  to  business. 

Amid  a  merry  round  of  jest  and  repartee  the  evening 
meal  was  despatched,  and  then  the  dishes  were 
washed  up. 

When  everything  had  been  cleared  away,  Wingate 
started  a  song,  and  the  party  all  joined;  and  for  an 
hour  the  forest  resounded  with  music.  As  the  evening 
advanced,  however,  the  attacks  of  the  mosquitoes  in- 
creased rapidly,  and  by  ten  o'clock  all  retired  to  rest, 
well  protected  by  mosquito  netting. 

Light  was  just  breaking  in  the  east,  Friday  morning, 
when  the  fishermen  of  the  night  before,  by  a  precon- 
certed signal,  rose  quickly  and  stole  silently  out  from 
among  their  friends,  rjul,  launching  the  Daisy,  rowed 
softly  away  from  the  landing,  and  reached  the  mouth  of 
Misery  just  as  the  first  birds  were  singing  their  matin 


songs. 


The  air  was  fragrant  with  the  aroma  of  the  forests, 
the  lake  as  still  as  the  blue  sky  overhead,  and  the  boys, 
while  intent  on  fishing,  were  not  so  entirely  preoccupied 
as  not  to  notice  and  enjoy  the  opening  beauties  c''  the 
new  day. 

Having  reached  a  suitable  place  for  trying  their  luck, 
they  began  casting,  each  one  hoping  to  have  the  honor 
of  landing  the  first  fish. 

Drake  was  the  lucky  man.  He  had  scarcely 
dropped  his  flics  upon  the  water  when  he  had  a  hand- 
some rise,  struck  his  fish  in  good  shape,  and,  af^er  ten 
minutes  of  fine  sport,  he  reeled  in  his  line,  getting  the 


i 


i»l 


60 


Up  the  North  Branch, 


fish  near  enough  for  VVingate  to  let  him.  The  trout 
weighed  a  pound  and  a  quarter,  and  ihe  fishermen 
were  well  satisfied  with  the  commencement  of  the  sport. 

After  the  first  fish  had  been  landed,  the  trout  began 
rising  all  around  the  boat,  in  a  manner  that  drove  their 
would-be  captors  almost  frantic  with  excitement.  For 
an  hour  they  had  the  prettiest  fly-fishing  that  Wingate 
had  ever  witnessed,  and  the  party  look  seventy  fish, 
none,  however,  quiie  as  heavy  as  the  first  one  struck 
by  Drake. 

Then  occurred  one  of  those  unaccountable  changes 
that  all  fishermen  have  experienced.  The  trout  left 
off  rising,  and  disappeared.  Not  a  sign  of  a  rise  in 
any  direction,  and,  although  the  fellows  fished  steadily 
for  an  hour  and  a  half  longer,  there  was  not  another 
fish  taken. 

While  they  were  debating  the  expediency  of  return- 
ing to  camp,  the  report  of  a  rifle  echoed  and  reechoed 
across  the  lake,  and  attracted  the  fishermen's  attention. 

'•  That  is  a  signal  for  us  to  return,  fellows,"  said 
Wingate. 

"  Here,  Drake,  you're  in  the  bow ;  place  the  butts  of 
the  rods  under  the  forward  seats,  and  ther.  we'll  pull 
for  the  shore.  That  is,  you  ai.d  Wood  can,  and  I'll 
steer." 

"  Nothing  mean  about  you,"  remarked  Drake,  as  he 
took  care  of  the  rods,  and  picked  up  an  oar. 

"  I'm  glad  to  learn  that  for  a  certainty,"  replied 
Charlie,  laughing.  "  Do  you  know,  at  times  I've  been 
afraid  there  was." 

The  droll  manner  in  which  he  delivered  the  last  sen- 


The  First  Night's  Camp. 


61 


tence  set  his  hearers  into  a  gale  of  la  ighter. 


After 

controlling  their  mirth,  they  dropped  their  oar  blades 
into  the  water,  and  started  with  a  stroke  that  sent  the 
Daisy  rapidly  toward  the  camp. 

"  I  hope  breakfast  is  all  jready  but  frying  the  fish," 
remarked  Wood.  "This  early  rising  makes  a  fellow 
hungry.     I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  without  food  for   a 

week." 

"  I  see,"  suggested  Drake,  "  you  have  a  kind  of  a 

weakly  feeling." 

"  Come,  come,  now !  "  proter^ed  Wingate.  "  That  is 
too  bad.     Before  breakfast,  too." 

"That  hon  mot  was  to  improve  his  appetite,"  ex- 
plained Drake,  with  a  laugh. 

'•  To  kill  it,  you  mean,"  suggested  Wood. 

As  the  boat  shot  up  on  the  beach  opposite  the  camp- 
fire,  all  but  Claude  rushed  down  for  a  look  at  the  fish, 
which  Wingate  proudly  exposed  to  view. 

"You  have  made  a  good  catch,"  said  Maynard,  look- 
ing at  the  fish,  and  taking  the  rods  from  the  boat. 

"  Correct,"  answered  Drake. 

"  What  made  you  so  sly  about  it,  Charlie  ?  "  queried 
Robbins.     "  I  should  have  enjoyed  going  with  you." 

"  I  dare  say.  But  in  this  case  three  completed  the 
party.  Wili  be  pleased  to  have  your  company  some 
other  time." 

"  Are  those  fish  dressed  ? "   inquired    Claade,   from 

the  fire. 

"  Nary  a  dress,"  returned  Wood. 

"Then,  somebody,  dress  them.  How  many  hav2 
you  ? " 


H.^: 


:P 


I 


62 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


I 


"  Seventy." 

"We'll  keep  half  of  them  for  dinner,  but  you  may 
as  well  dress  them  all  now." 

The  two  assistants  of  the  cook,  aided  by  Drake  and 
Wood,  began  dressing  the  fi»h,  while  V.'ingate  washed 
out  the  boat. 

As  fast  as  the  fish  were  dressed,  Foster  carried  them 
to  Claude,  who  kept  at  the  cooking  until  half  the  num- 
ber had  been  fried.  Then  breakfast  was  announced. 
The  balance  of  the  fish,  nicely  cleaned,  were  rolled  up 
in  birch  bark,  and  put  in  a  box  that  had  been  left  on 
the  ground  by  some  former  camping  party. 

"  I  expect  we  shall  find  some  pretty  lively  water,  the 
first  three  miles  on  the  river,"  said  Claude,  while  the 
party  were  breakfasting. 

■  "  I  don't  believe  it  will  be  any  worse  than  some  we 
found  on  the  West  Branch  trip,"  replied  St.  Clair. 

"  A  bad  piece  of  rapids  is  an  exhilaration,"  added 
Maynard.  "  It  makes  things  exciting  to  run  a  piece  of 
water  in  a  boat  when  you  feel  just  as  if  you  would 
rather  be  on  shore." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  W  )od,  doubtfully. 
"The  lighter  the  boats  are,  the  easier  you  can  run  the 
falls,  and  I  think  it  will  be  best  for  three  of  us  to  walk 
along  the  river  bank  in  the  worst  places,  and  have  only 
two  in  each  boat." 

"I  agree  with  you,"  remarked  C^laude. 
When  breakfast  was  finished  and  the  dishes  washcvt, 
it  did  not  take  long  to  load  the   boats,  and   in  half  an 
hour  from  the  time  the  party  had  finished  eating  they 
were  afloat  and  pulling  across  the  lake  to  the  outlet. 


The  First  Night's  Camp. 


63 


This  was  only  a  short  distance,  and,  reaching  the 
river,  the  boats  were  pulled  in  to  the  north  side,  and 
Drake,  Wood,  and  Le  Roy  stepped  on  shore,  leaving 
onlv  two  in  each  boat. 

The  navigators  then  took  their  places  in  the  bow  and 
stern,  with  paddles  instead  of  oars,  and  prepared  to 
run  the  rapids,  which  extended  for  three  miles  down  to 
Gertrude  Island, 

As  the  boys  were  about  to  push  off,  a  boat  came  in 
sight,  being  poled  up  the  rapids  by  one  man,  its  only 
occupant.  As  the  craft  came  nearer  they  saw  it  was  a 
birch  canoe. 

As  the  canoe-man  cleared  the  white  water,  he  no' iced 
the  boats,  which  he  appeared  not  to  have  seen  before, 
and  poled  over  to  them. 

"  Good  morning  !  "  said  Claude,  as  the  man  stopped 
his  canoe,  within  a  few  feet  of  the  boats. 

"  Mornin',"  replied  the  man.  "  You  goin'  down  river 
in  those  boats?" 

"That  is  our  intention." 

"  D'ye  know  anything  'bout  the  river  ?  " 

"  Not  a  great  deal." 

"Well,  then,  just  keep  yer  eyes  skinned  at  the  dam 
and  Sam's  Pitch,  or  those  nice  boats'll  get  ye  into 
trouble." 

"  I  guess  not,"  replied  Maynard.  "  We've  seen  while 

water  before." 

"Wall,  ye'll  feel  it  to-day,"  with  a  coarse  attempt  at 
a  joke,  "if  ye  ain't  earful,"  and,  '  ighing  loudly,  he 
poled  up  toward  the  lake. 

"  I  would  like  to  know  if  any  more  of  them  escaped 


m 


64 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


from  the  menagerie?  "and  Wood  threw  a  questioning 

glance  at  his  friends. 

They  laughed,  and  Wingate  informed  him  that  such 
characters  as  the  one  who  had  just  left  them  were  a 
common  production  of  that  part  of  the  countr)'. 

"Pass  me  my  gun,  Frank!"  and  Le  Rov  stepped 
nearer  the  Swalloiv, 

Maynard  picked  it  up,  and,  laughing,  said,  "  You  know 
it  is  close  season  for  all  kinds  of  game,  Tommy." 

"  That  may  be.  But  it's  not  close  season  for  foxes, 
and   we   may   see  -one.      Pull   the   covering   off,    will 

"  Here  you  are,"  handing  him  the  gun,  "  and  I'll  bet 
five  dollars  you  don't  see  a  fox,  much  less  shoot  one." 

"I  never  bet,"  replied  Le  Roy,  in  a  solemn  tone. 
"  In  fact,  it  is  better  not  to  bet." 

"  You  bet  it  is,"  added  Wingate. 

"  And  the  bettist  often  gets  bit,"  su^:^ested  Claude. 

"  Better  make  a  start,  or  we  shall  not  reach  Kineo 
to-day,"  remarked  Drake,  starting  along  the  river  road, 
and  Le  Roy  and  Wood  followed  him. 

The  boats  were  then  paddled  out  from  the  shore 
and  headed  down  river,  the  boatmen  scanning  the 
stream  intently,  and  keeping  their  eyes  wide  open  for 
rocks  or  other  obstructions. 

The  Petrel  was  ahead,  with  Claude  in  the  bnw,  and, 
as  he  was  as  good  a  boatman  as  there  was  in  the 
party,  the  occupants  of  the  Swallow  and  the  Daisy 
thought  best  to  follow  closely  in  his  wake. 

As  the  water  grew  stronger,  the  boats  shot  ahead 
faster,  and,  successfully  passing  the  dangers  of  Sam's 


l.K    KMV'S   <}l'N    TAME   yUIf'KI.V    TO    HIS    SHOULDER.       Page  G5. 


The  First  Night ' J  Camp. 


65 


Pitch  and  the  Dam,  had  in  half  an  hour  reached  the 
island,  and  were  paddled  to  the  north  shore  to  await 
the  arrival   of    the   "  three  tramps,"  as  Foster  called 

them. 

"  Now,  fellows,  if  you  please,  let  me  go  ahead,"  said 
Le  Koy,  as  he  slipped  a  couple  of  shells  into  his  gun, 
"and  if  1  see  a  moose  I'll   make   him   run,  if  nothing 

more." 

"That  is  all  you  would  do,  probably,"  bantered 
Wood,  "unless  you  might  possibly  hit  him  by  acci- 
dent." 

"Oh,  stop  your  gassing,  and  give  me  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards  the  start  of  you." 

"Strike  out,  then,"  said  Diake,  *    Iting. 

Le  Roy  had  soon  covered  his  iwo  hundred  yards, 
and  a  turn  of  the  road,  a  minute  later,  hid  him  from  I<is 
companions.  With  eyes  ever  on  the  alert,  and  ears  open 
to  the  slightest  sound,  he  walked  on  silently  and  care- 
fully for  about  two  miles,  when  he  stopped  a  moment, 
to  see  if  he  could  hear  his  friends. 

He  looked  back  and  listened  intently,  but  they  were 
neither  to  be  seen  nor  heard,  ai^d,  turning  his  head,  he 
was  about  to  resume  his  walk  when  he  heard  a  slight 
noise  beyond,  and  a  second  later  a  fox  walked  out  of 
the  woods  on  the  left  side  of  the  road,  and  started 
down  river  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 

Le  Roy's  gun  came  quickly  to  his  shoulder,  a  report 
instantly  followed,  and  the  next  moment  the  most  as- 
tonished fox  in  rdaine  jumped  about  five  fe:t  into  the 
air,  with  his  hindquarters  well  pjppercd  with  duck 
shot.     He  came  down  all  in  a  heap,  and,  while  he  was 


!l 


GO 


Up  the  North  Branch, 


stru-<^ling  to  his  feet,  Tommy  let  him  have  the  con- 
tentrof  the  other  barrel,  which  took  effect  in  his  head, 

killing  him  ii.stantly.  ,  .,      i 

Le    Roy   stepped   up   to   his    prize,    and,  while    he 

was   looking  him  over,  his  two  friends  came  running 

at  full  speed  towards  him. 

"  What  have  you  shot,  Tommy  ? "  cried  Drake. 

"  A  fox  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  see.     Quite  a  large  one,  too." 
♦'  Do  you  call  that  a  large  fox?"  inquired  Wood,  who 
had   never   seen    one   before.     "Why   he    is   not   any 

larger  than  my  dog." 

"  How  large  did  you  expect  a  fox  was?     As  large  as 
an  ox?"  and  Le  Roy  laughed,  and  winked  at  Drake. 

"Of  course  not,  you  grinning  hyena.     But  I  thought 
they  were  larger  than  this  one."  < 

"This  is  a  pretty  good-sized    fox,"   replied    Drake. 
"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him.  Tommy  ?  " 

"  Oh,  take  him  along  with  us  and  bake  him  for  din- 
ner," with  a  sly  wink  at  Drake. 

But  Wood  caught  the  wink  in  transit,  and  com- 
menced laughing.  "  Don't  think  I  am  quite  so  green 
as  that,"  he  remarked  to  Lc  Roy.  "  I  saw  you  wink, 
and  I  want  you  to  understand,  if  this  is  my  first  trip 
into  the  wilderness,  I  am  not  quite  a  fool.  Who  ever 
heard  of  enting  a  lox  ."  " 

"I  would  eat  him  before  I  would  starve,"  retorted 

Tommy,  laughing. 

"Perhaps  I  would  myself,"  said  Dave,  "but  we  are 
not  in  a  starving  condition." 

While   the  talk   had    been   going  on,   Le    Roy   had 


The  '"   v/  Nighfs  Camp. 


07 


> 


fumbled  in  all  his  pockets  until  he  founH  a  piece  of 
string,  wi'.h  which  he  tied  the  two  hind  legs  of  poor 
Reynard  together,  and,  slinging  him  on  his  gun  barrels, 
they  sta.ted  along  the  road,  this  time  in  company.  A 
few  minutes'  walk  jrought  them  to  the  point  on  the 
river  opposite  Gertrude  Islard,  where  the  boats  were 
awaiting  their  arrival. 

"  Where's  the  fellow  who  wanted  to  bet  five  dollars 
that  I  would  not  see  a  fox  }  "  cried  Le  Roy,  as  he 
stepped  up  to  the  Swallow  and  held  the  fox  on  high  by 
the  end  of  his  tail. 

"  He's  just  stepped  into  the  woods,"  replied  Maynard, 
laughing. 

"  Yes,  he  has,"  retorted  Tommy.  "  Don't  you  be  so 
fresh,  old  tellow,  the  next  time." 

"  Wliat  are  you  going  to  do  w  iih  him,  Le  Roy  ? " 
asVed  Foster. 

"  Well,  I  told  Wood  that  we  should  bake  him  for 
dinner,  but  he  didn't  quite  swallow  my  statement." 

'-  Singular,"  replied  Maynard,  with  a  chuckle. 

"  Extraordinary,"  added  Wingate. 

"  A  regular  doubter,"  remarked  St.  Clair. 

Le  Roy  laid  the  fox  in  the  Swallo7v,  took  the  shells 
from  his  gun,  put  it  back  in  the  case,  and  then  an- 
nounced that  he  was  ready  to  go  on. 

"  1  think,"  said  Claude,  "  that,  as  it  is  so  hot,  and," 
looking  at  his  watch,  "  almost  -levcn  o'clock,  we  had 
better  stop  on  the  island  until  two  or  three  o'clock,  and 
then  do  the  rest  of  tli  •  distance,  which  is  only  four 
miles,  in  the  cooler  part  of  the  day.  What  do  you  say, 
boys  ?  " 


1 


t  \ 


v^ 


'§Bm 


68 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  That  will  suit  me  for  one,"  declared  Robbins. 

The  other  members  of  the  party  also  expressed  them- 
selves as  satisfied  with  the  proposition,  and  the  three 
boats  were  propelled   to  the   island,  where   the  crews 

landed. 

"This  is  a  better  place  for  dinner  than  on  the  mam- 
land,"  remarked  Mavnard. 

"That  is  so,"  added  St.  Clair.  "We  get  a  little 
breeze  here,  and  thn  flies  and   mosquitoes  are  not  so 

thick." 

;he  boats  were -drawn    up   on    the    island    just   far 

ough  to  prevent  them  drifting  away,  but  were  not 
unloaded,  the  fellows  taking  out  only  what  they  needed 
for  the  noonday  meal.  They  concluded  to  have  this 
at  twelve  o'clock,  and  preliminaries  with  that  end  in 
view  were  at  once  commenced. 

■■'  Do  you  think  our  stores  will  be  at  Kinto  when  v/e 
get  there,  Claude  ?  "  inquired  Drake,  as  he  assisted  the 
leader  of  the  party  in  starting  a  fire. 

"Certainly.  They  left  Boston  Monday,  and  we 
should    find    them    at    the     Kineo    House    sure    lo- 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  have  to  wait  for  them,"  put  in 

Wood. 

"  I  don't  believe  we  shall,"  added  Maynard.  "  Vou 
know  we  are  to  spend  Sunday  there,  and  surely  they 
will  be  along  before  Monday  morning,  even  if  they  are 
not  there  to-night." 

"Don't  let's  borrow  any  trouble  over  the  matter," 
philosophically  suggested  Wingate ;  "trouble  comes 
fast  enough  any  way  in  this  world." 


i 


The  First  Night 's  Camp. 


60 


'•  Vou  are  rij,dit,"  remarked  Foster ;  "  but  if  you  don't 
believe  me  ask  Tommy's  fox  ?  " 

"  That  fox  is  not  talking  so  much  as  he  was,"  sug- 
gested St.  Clair.     "  He  is  a  very  grave  fellow." 

"  He  ought  to  be  put  in  his  grave,"  laughed  Wood. 
'"  He  beirins  to  smell  alreadv." 

'•  Don't  talk  so  much  without  saying  something," 
said  Tommy,  with  a  strong  tone  of  sarcasm  in  his  voice. 

"Great  Scott!  isn't  tiiis  warm,  though  !"  exclaimed 
Foster,  staggering  to  the.  firo  and  throwing  down  an 
armful  of  wood  beside  it.  "  We  ought  to  have  eaten  a 
cold  lunch  this  noon." 

"A  warm  dinner  and  a  cup  of  hot  coffee  is  good 
enough  for  me,"  said  Maynard. 

"  You  can't  expect  freezing  weather  in  Julv,  even  up 
in  this  country,"  declared  Robbins. 

Jkit  Foster  did  not  answer  him;  he  only  wiped  his 
perspiring  biow  and  winkc  .t.  He  did  not  feel  equal  to 
an  argument. 

The  dinner  was  partaken  of  leisurely,  and  afterward 
Claude  made  a  sketch  from  the  island.  At  about  four 
o'clock  the  boys  launched  their  boats  and  proceeded 
toward  Kinco.  There  were  no  more  rapids,  although 
there  were  several  shoal  places  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  and  all  the  boys  knew  it,  because  every  boat  ran 
aground,  and  it  took  them  some  time  to  get  off  and 
find  deep  water. 

Once  in  tlie  lake,  however,  they  had  no  further 
trouble,  and  ai  six  o'clock  drew  their  boats  up  on  the 
beach  near  the  ho:el,  ;!nd,  shouldering  part  of  uielr 
traps,  went  up  to  the  house. 


70 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


Landlord  DL-nnen  met  theiu  at  the  door  ami  <;ave 
them  a  hearty  welcome,  and  Chuide  told  him  they 
should  stop  with  him  until  Monday  morning,  lie  gave 
them  a  dozen  or  more  letters,  and  informed  them  that 
their  goods  had  not  come,  and  then  the  party  registered, 
were  shown  to  rooms,  and  retired  to  prepare  for 
supper. 


■R 


lij 


1 


CHAPTER  V. 

FROM    KINEO   TO    SEEBOOMOOK. 

The  stores  that  the  club  were  looking  for  had  not 
arrived  at  Kineo,  as  Claude  expected,  but  they  came 
on  the  steamer  Saturday  morning,  and  the  boys  opened 
the  different  packages  and  boxes,  changing  tlie  goods 
to  other  packages  that  could  be  done  up  more  com- 

^'^As^ihe  steamer  did  not  arrive  until  half  past  nine,  it 
took  the  partv  the  rest  of  the  forenoon  to  get  the 
stores  arranged  for  transportation  in  such  a  manner  as 

suited  them.  , 

In  the  afternoon  Robbins,  Foster,  Drake,  and  Wood 
made  the  ascent  of  Mount  Kineo,  while  the  other 
members  of  the  party  interviewed  the  hotel  people,  also 
guides  and  guests,  about  their  proposed  tr.p,  gettmg  all 
the  informa  ,  ^  they  could  about  the  route  they  were  to 
take,  and  asking  especially  about  what  camps  they  ^^r^ 
likely  to  find,  and  where  located. 

m  t  ..  evening  they  talked  over  the  arrangementc 
for  the  start  from  Kineo,  and  it  was  decided  to  hire  the 
JMy  Dream,  a  small  steamer  belonging  to  the  hotel,  to 
take  them  to  the  Northwest  Carry,  and  that  they  woiuc. 

start  at  eight  o'clock.  ,  ,      i 

Claude,  with  Foster  as   assistant,  wns  elected  to  do 
the  cooking  fc  ■   the  first  week,  the  entire  party,  how- 

71 


1 


72 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


ever,  to  be  under  the  chief  cook's  direction  for  the 
entire  trip,  and,  as  the  cooks  were  to  be  changed  once  a 
week,  each  one  in  turn  would  have  command  of  the 
party. 

As  they  were  away  for  a  "Summer's  Oulincj,"  it 
was  agreed  that  there  should  be  no  long  stretches  of 
travel  unless  it  was  absolutely  necessary,  and  that  they 
should  take  the  trip  in  the  easiest  way  possible.  As 
Drake  put  it,  they  were  willing  to  have  the  largest 
possible  amount  of  fun,  and  the  smallest  possible 
amount  of  work. 

There  being  seve'ral  ministers  at  the  hotel,  divine 
services  were  held  on  Sunday  in  the  large  parlor,  and 
the  entire  party  attended  morning  and  evening,  the 
afternoon  being  spent  in  chatting  with  a  few  friends 
whom  they  had  found  stopping  at  Kineo,  one  of  whom 
they  had  become  acquainted  with  two  years  before, 
while  on  their  trip  down  the  West  Branch. 

At  sharp  seven  o'clock  on  Monday  morning  the  boys 
filed  into  the  dining-room  for  breakfast.  It  had  been 
understood  the  night  before  that  there  was  to  be  no 
loitering,  and  that  every  member  of  the  party  was  to  be 
ready  to  sail  precisely  at  eight  o'clock. 

Captain  Lrown  had  agreed  to  have  all  their  boats, 
stores,  and  baggage  on  board  at  the  hour  named,  and 
be  ready  to  sail  the  moment  they  stepped  on  'eck.  He 
was  as  good  as  liis  word,  for  when  the  party  reached 
the  steamer  they  found  the  fasts  cast  off,  and  the  cap- 
tain holtling  the  boat  to  the  wharf  bv  one  of  the  stan- 
chions. 

"  Good    morning,  young   gentlemen,"   remarked  the 


J    * 


Prom  Kinco  to  Scchoomooh. 


73 


I 


captain,  pleasantly,  as  they  stepped  on  board;  "you 
have  just  saved  your  passage.  A  moment  later,  and  I 
should  have  sailed  without  yon." 

"That's   right,    captain,"    replied  Claude;    "always 

sail  on  time." 

"  Whether  you  have  any  passengers  or  not,"  added 

Wingate. 

The  captain  pushed  the  steamer  away  from  the 
wharf,  and  started  for  the  wheel-house,  remarking  that 
people  who  got  left  two  or  three  times  were  generally 
on  time  alter  such  an  experience. 

"  I  agree  with  you,  captain,"  answered  Claude  ;  and, 
turning'^to  his  friends,  "  Now,  lellows,  let's  see  if  our 
things  are  all  here." 

Upon  looking  over  their  stores  and  baggage  every- 
thing was  found  to  be  on  board,  and,  with  their  minds 
at  ease  on  this  miportant  matter,  they  turned  their 
attention  to  the  lake  and  its  surroundings.  As  Emer- 
son, Wingate,  St.  Clair,  and  Drake  were  the  only  mem- 
bers of  the  party  who  had  participated  in  the  trip 
down  the  West  Branch,  they  began  a  running  de- 
scription of  points  of  interest  along  the  route. 

"  Can  we  see  those  mountains  you  made  the  ascent 
of,  Claude  ? "  inquired  Frank  Maynard,  joining  in  the 
conversation. 

"  Yes.  There  are  the  Spencer  Peaks  behind  that 
low  mountain  ;  Little  Kineo  it  is  called.  And  Mount 
Katahdin  you  will  see  from  a  point  higher  up  the  lake." 
"Those  Spencer  Mountains  are  very  symmetrical  in 
shape,"  remarked  Le  Roy.  "  Was  it  a  hard  climb  to 
the  top  of  them  ?  " 


1 

4 


up  the  North  Branch. 


m 


■ 


"  V'cs,  rather  hard.  I  should  not  care  to  <lo  it  every 
(lay  in  the  week." 

"  What  is  that  island  we  have  just  passed  ? "  asked 
Foster. 

"Farm  Island,"  replied  Wingate.  "It  is  quite 
large." 

"  Yes,  I  heard  Captain  Brown  say  once  there  were 
about  twelve  hundred  acres  in  it,  and  there  are  larger 
islands  than  this  in  the  lower  part  of  the  lake.  Sugar 
Island,  for  instance,  has  five  thousand  acres  in  it." 

The  boys  now  strolled  to  the  wheel-house,  and  gath- 
ered in  a  group  around  the  windows,  and  questioned 
the  captain  about  the  numerous  mountains  they  saw, 
the  names  of  which  he  gave  them.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Centre  Island  he  pointed  out  Mount  Katahdinto  them, 
and  those  who  had  not  been  of  the  party  two  years 
before  looked  on  it  with  reverence  and  longing. 

"  By  Jove  !  I  should  have  liked  to  have  been  with 
you,  Claude,  when  you  mads  the  ascent  of  Katahdin," 
remarked  Maynard. 

"  I  wish  you  had  been,  Frank.  We  had  a  first-class 
time  on  that  trip." 

"  I  suppose  you  called  it  a  tiptop  time  when  you 
reached  the  summit  ?  "  And  Le  Roy,  who  had  given 
vent  to  this  atrocious  pun,  looked  blandly  oil  across  the 
lake. 

"  I  guess  Tommy  is  getting  hungry,"  remarked  Wood, 
when  the  laugh  was  over. 

The  boat  now  entered  the  northwest  arm  of  the  lake, 
at  the  head  of  which  they  would  bid  farewell  to  l!ie 
steamboat.     Word  had  been  sent  to  Feid  Lane  the  day 


M 


Frojft  Kitiro  to  ScchooDiook. 


75 


before  to  Iiavc  a  learn  at  the  landin-  at  luilf  paM  ten,  to 
haul  the  boats  and  supplies  across  the  carry. 

IJefore  the  steamer  feached  the  landing,  the  team 
could   be    seen    in   wailing,    and    a    man  and  boy  be- 

"This  is  a  good  beginning,"  declared  Claude.  "  We 
left  Kineo  on  time  this  morning,  and  the  team  is  here 
to  meet  us,  so  we  shall  lose  no  time  In  getting  over  the 

earn." 

When  the  steamer  had  stopped,  the  boats  were  hrst 
taken  on  shore,  then  the  baggage  and  stores,  and.  as 
Captain  IJrown  hadapariy  waiting  at  Kineo  to  betaken 
to  the  Kennebec  Dam,  he  lost  very  little  time  over  the 
disembarking,  but,  the  moment  the  last  of  the  boys  and 
their  belongings  were  out  of  the  steamer,  he  wished 
them  "  good-bve  "  and  "  good  luck,"  tooted  the  whistle 
three  times,  and  the  next  moment  the  steamer  was 
heading  down  the  lake,  and  the  boys  felt  as  if  the  last 
link  between  them  and  civilization  had  been  broken. 

«  Are  you  Mr.  Lane  ?  "  inquired  Wingate,  speaking 
to  the  man  who,  with  the  boy,  had  been  intently  watch- 
ing the  parly. 
"  I  s'pose  I  am." 

"  Not  quite  certain  of  it.  Well,  that  don't  matter. 
You  see  what  we  have  here  in  the  way  of  baggage  and 
stores,  beside  our  thiee  boats,  that  we  wish  hauled  over 
tl,e  carry  to  the  pond.  Now,  what  will  you  charge  for 
doing  \U  and  how  long  will  it  take  you  ? " 

'•Wall,  I'll  have  ter  make  three  loads  on  account  o 
the  boats,  and  it'll,  take  the  rest  of  the  day.     I  can't 
haul  but  one  load  before  dinner  for  it's  most  eleven 


70 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


o'clock  now.-  And  I  allers  cliarge  two  dollars  per 
load." 

"  All  right.  I  am  willing  to  pay  you  that,  and  we'll 
help  you  what  we  can  beside." 

The  question  as  to  what  should  constitute  the  first 
load  was  settled  by  Claude,  who  said  they  must  have 
provisions  enough  to  get  dinner  with,  to  the  exclusion 
of  anything  else,  and  no  one  objected  to  that,  for  they 
all  wanted  dinner. 

"  We  shall  have  to  camp  over  on  the  river  somewhere 
to-night  if  it  is  going  to  take  him  all  day  to  haul  the 
things  over,"  remarked  Maynard. 

"That  is  so,  Frank,"  added  Claude.  "The  guide- 
book says  tliat  we  enter  the  main  river  just  opposite 
Seeboomook  Island,  and  that  it  is  a  good  place  to  camp. 
How  is  ic,  Air.  Lane  ?  " 

"  Oh,  ther's  good  camping  '•pots  on  the  island. 
Most  everybody  who  goes  across  camps  there." 

'*  Then,  the  island  will  be  our  home  to-night,"  said 
Wingate. 

The  Petrel  was  now  fastened  on  the  sled  in  such  a 
manner  that  she  would  ride  without  chafing,  and  then 
what  stores  they  could  find  room  for  were  added,  and 
the  team  started,  the  members  of  the  club  following  in 
the  rear,  each  one  carrying  something. 

Arrived  at  the  pond,  the  team  was  unloaded,  and 
Wingate  charged  Lane  to  be  very  careful  in  handling 
and  hauling  the  other  boats,  and  agreed  to  meet  him 
when  he  catne  v, ith  the  Xw-^X.  load  and  pay  the  bill. 

"  Now,"  said  Claude,  "  the  boat  will  not  carry  us  all, 
and,  as  it  is  most  noon,  Foster  and  myself,  with  Rob- 


\  h 


From  Kinco  to  Sccboomook. 


7T 


bins  and  Frank,  will  go  first,  and  make  a  start  towards 
dinner.  And,  as  we  can  carry  but  very  little  with  four 
in  the  boat,  we  will  only  take  an  axe,  a  bag  of  potatoes, 
and  a  couple  of  pails  and  dippers.  Then  l«rank  can 
return  with  the  boat,  and  bring  back  two  more  of  you, 
and  some  more  grub." 

"  \ll  ri-ht,"  replied  Robbins,  "only  let  us  get  started, 
or  the  mo"  quitoes  will  eat  us  up  alive.  Good  gracious  ! 
hear  them  buzz.     It  sounds  like  a  sawmdl." 

Those  who  were  left  by  the  meadow  pulled  grass  and 
picked  up  a  few  sticks  and  bushes,  and  started  a 
smud-e  to  drive  away  the  mosquitoes  while  they  were 


wailing 


The  Pdrd  made  the  trip  safely  to  the  island,  and, 
after  Foster,  Claude,  and  Robbins  went  on  shore, 
Frank  returned  to  the  pond  for  another  load. 

Wingate  and  St.  Clair  accompanied  him  back,  and 
thev  carried  all  the  provisions  necessary  for  dinner. 

Claude  came  down  to  the  water  and  met  the  boat  as 
she  touched  the  shore.  "  What  have  you  brought  this 
ti.ne,  Frank  ? "  queried  the  head  cook,  as  he  took  hold 
of   the    bow   of   the   boat    and    pulled  her  up  a  little 

''''"I  have  brought  the  box  of  things  we  packed  up  for 
dinner,  the  other  axe,  some  dishes,  and  a  bag  of  hard-^ 

"""""^Good,  I  guess  we  can  get  along  till  supper  time 
with  what  we  have  now.  Give  me  the  box  and  St. 
Clair,  vou,  and  Charlie  bring  up  the  oilier  collateral. 

"  \11  ri'dit   we're  good  for  that,"  replied  Wingate. 

-Now, "Frank,  by  the  time  you  get  back  with  Wood 


\ 


78 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


li|i 


anci  Drake,  dinner  will  be  ready,"  and   Claude  started 
up  to  camp  with  the  box. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  shouted  Maynard,  as  he  pushed 
off;    "there's  a  big  hole   in  my  stomjack,  that  needs 

filling."  . 

When  Frank  reached  the  carry  the  second  time,  he 
found  the  team  there  with  the  Swallow,  the  balance  of 
the  stores,  and  part  of  the  baggage.  Mr.  Lane  was 
just  unloading.  ^ 

"  Shall  we  load  the  Siualhnv  and  bring  her  along  ? ' 

asked  Wood. 

"  No  !  dinner  will  be  ready  by  the  time  we  get  back, 
and  I  am  half  starved.     Pitch  in  a  few  things,  and  let's 

be  off." 

"Tell  that  feller  that  wanted  to  pay  me  that  I'll  be 
here  bv  four  o'clock  with  the  last  load,"  said  Mr.  Lane, 
as  the  boys  pushed  off. 

"  I  will,"  replied  Maynard.     "  He'll  be  here  by  the 

time  you  are." 

"  What  kind  of  an  island  is  that  whore  we  are  going 

to  camp  ?  "  queried  Drake. 

"Oh,  it's  an  average  kind  of  an  island,"  returned 
Frank,  roguishly.  "It  is  composed  mostly  of  sc  il, 
rocks,  etc.,  and  is  surrounded  by  water." 

"You  don't  say  so,"  replied  Drake.  "Your  reply 
reminds  me  of  the  Irishman's  description  of  a  pig." 

"  What  was  that  ?  " 

"  A  pace  of  flish  wid  a  squale  at  one  ind  of  it." 

"  Now  it's  your  turn,  Maynard,"  laughed  Wood. 

"  I've  nothing  more  to  say,  except,  blast  these  flies. 
There  are  about  forty  chewing  my  cars." 


I 


From  Kiiico  to  Scchooinook. 


79 


"Where's  your  tly  medicine?  " 

"  In  my  bag."  „        , 

"Try  mine.tlien.     I  hate  to  see  you  suffer,     and 

Wood  tossed  his  bottle  to  Maynard,  who  deftly  caught 

"'After  Frank  had  covered  himself  well  with  the  fly 
preparation,  he  told  his  frien.ls  all  he  could  about  he 
camping  place,  and  by  the  time  he  had  finished  h,s 
descripaon  the  boat  was  in  sight  of  the  island,  and  they 
could  see  for  themselves. 

"What's  the  news,  Frank  ?  "  inquired  Foster,  as  the 
three  new-comers  approached  the   place  where  dmnet 

vvTs  beins:  served  up.  , 

"  Lane  had  come  with  the  Srvallow  and  another  load 
of  our  plunder,  and  says  he  will  be  there  at  four  o  clc>ck 
^vith  the  last  one,  and  he  wants  the  treasurer  of  this 
crowd  to  be  on  hand  with  his  nickels." 
♦' I'll  be  there,"  replied  Wingate. 
-Of  course  you  will.     But  is^dinner  ready?     Ihat  ib 
the  question  that  interests  me." 

"A  1  ready,  Frank,"  returned  Claude.     "Take  r.ght 
hold  and  help  yourself.     Fall  to,  fellows,  wlule  things 

'"'While  they  are  hot,"  repeated  Wood.     "You  don't 
suppose  they'll  cool  any^such  a  day  as  this,  do  you  . 

"  They  misjht  in  time." 

Claude  and  Foster  were  now  busy  in  watt.ng  upon 
their  friends,  and  when  they  had  attended  to  the  wants 
of  the  otlrers  thev  ate  their  dinner,  while  ,he;r  fr.ends 
sat  with  them  and  chatted  over  .heir  "'-'""S  f  "'T'^. 

"  Charlie,"  said  Claude,  when  he  had   Im.shed  h,s 


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33  WEST  MAIN  STRHT 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  145M 

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80 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


dinner,  "  I  want  some  of  the  fellows  to  stav  here,  and 
get  wood  and  build  a  camp,  and,  as  you  will  have  to  go 
and  settle  with  Lane,  I  think  you  can  get  along  with 
two  fellows;  that  will  be  one  for  each  boat.  Can't  he, 
Frank }  " 

"Yes!  but  don't  send  me.     I  have  made  two  trips 
already." 

"  I'll  go  !  "  cried  Robbins.    "  And  I,"  added  Le  Roy. 
"All  right,"  replied  Claude,  "I'll  find  work  for  the 
rest  of  the  party." 

After  Wingate  had  started  to  meet  Lane,  Claude 
talked  with  the  other  fellows  to  get  an  idea  of  how 
long  they  wished  to  stop  on  the  island,  and  the  general 
opinion  was  that  the  party  should  leave  Wednesday 
morning  and  move  up  the  river  as  far  as  Swan's  or  the 
Big  Island,  and  that  Tuesday  they  could  go  down  the 
river  and  take  a  look  at  Seeboomook  Falls. 

When  the  trip  was  first  planned,  Claude  and  Wingate 
had  thought  of  taking  a  camera  and  some  dry  plates 
and  making  negatives  of  the  most  striking  places  on 
their  route.  But,  when  they  learned  what  the  camera 
and  plates  would  weigh,  they  decided  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  carry  such  a  load  in  addition  to  their  stores 
and  baggage  through  several  hundred  miles  of  wilder- 
ness. So  that  project  was  given  up,  and  the  bovs  con- 
cluded to  depend  on  what  they  could  do  in  the  way  of 
sketching,  to  carry  home  souvenirs  of  their  trip. 

Several  of  the  gentlemen  with  whom  they  had  talked 
at  the  Kineo  House  had  told  them  that  Seeboomook 
Falls  were  well  worth  a  visit  if  they  had  the  time  to 
make  it,  and,  as  they  had  plenty  of  time  at  their  com- 


Frovi  Kinco  to  Scchoomook. 


81 


mand.  they  concluded  to  devote  one  day  to  an  inspec- 
iion  of  the  falls. 

When  this  decision  had  been  arrived  at,  Claude  set 
Maynard  and  St.  Clair  to  building  a  camp,  and  Drake 
and  \\  ood  to  securing  fuel,  while  he  with  Foster's  help 
made  preparation  for  supper. 

Wingate  and  his  two  companions  reached  the  south 
side  of  the  meadow  pond  promptly  at  four  o'clock,  but 
they  had  to  wait  half  an  hour  before  Lane  made  his 
appearance. 

"  Thought  you  were  going  to  be  here  at  four  o'clock," 
said  Wingate,  pleasantly,  as  the  driver  and  sled  came  in 
siijht. 

"  Well,  I  should  have  been,  only  my  darned  old  har- 
ness broke,  and  I  had  to  go  back  to  the  house  and  git 
some  spun  yarn  to  mend  it  with." 

"  Have  vou  brought  evervthing  th's  time  ?  " 

"  Yes :  not  a  thing  left  behind  ;  if  there  is,  I'll  give 
you  my  head." 

*'  I  guess  you  better  keep  it,"  remarked  Robbins ; 
"you  might  feel  the  need  of  it." 

"  And,  besides,  think  how  you  would  frighten  people 
walking  around  without  any  head  on  your  shoulders," 
added  Le  Roy. 

The  boys  helped  unload  the  sled,  and  then  paid  Mr. 
Lane  his  six  dollars;  and  that  worthy,  wislnng  them 
"good  luck,"  turned  his  team,  and  headed  for  home. 

The  freight  was  then  loaded,  the  three  boats 
launched,  and  Wingate,  taking  the  lead,  started  for 
camp,  the  others  following  closely  in  his  wake.  It 
was  half  past  five  when  they  reached  the  island,  and 


■h 


\ 


82 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


Dave  and  Rob  "came  down  to  the  river  to  help  them  i£ 

necessary. 

"S'lpper  most  ready?"  questioned  Le  Roy,  as    he 

stepped  out  of  the  boat. 

'•  Ves,"  replied  Wood,  and  then  added,  "  I'm  blessed 
if  this  iln't  the  hungriest  crowd  1  ever  saw.  All  you 
think  of  is  eating." 

''  We'll,  that's  all  you'll  think  of,"  retorted  Tommy, 
"  after  you  have  been  in  the  woods  a  few  days  longer. 
This  pure  air  in  the  wilderness  gives  a  fellow  an  appetite. 
Why,  I  eat  mo.re  at  one  meal  up  here  in  the  woods  than 
I  do  for  a  whole  day  at  home." 

"  Hope  we  shall  not  get  out  of  provisions,  then," 
lauc^hed  Wood:  "if  we  do,  such  fellows  as  you  will 

starve." 

'•  Seems  to  me  it  is  getting  hotter,  instead  of  cooler," 
remarked  Wingate,  as  he  went  up  to  camp,  lugging  a 
bag  that  weighed  about  seventy-five  pounds. 

"I  ihink  so  too,"  replied  Claude,  "but  I  don't  know 
that  we  can  help  the  matter  any." 

After  supper,  in  the  evening,  it  was  arranged  tha^  the 
party  should  have  breakfast  the  next  morning  at  six 
o'clock,  and  that,  after  things  were  cleared  away,  they 
should  start  on  foot,  and  go  down  river  as  far  as  they 
liked,  and  carry  a  lunch  with  them,  returning  to  camp 
in  time  to  have  supper  before  dark.  It  was  ten 
o'clock  when  they  retired  for  the  night,  and  the  air  was 
so  sultry  they  could  scarcely  breathe. 

At  midnight  it  commenced  to  rain,  and  the  wind 
began  rising  soon  after,  and  ere  long  was  blowing  a 
gale.     It   increased   until  it  became  a  hurricane,  and 


Fiovi  Kluco  to  Sccboomooh. 


83 


finally  blew  down  the  camp,  very  little  of  which,  how- 
ever, fell  on  the  sleepers. 

r.ut  the  noise  awoke  them,  and  they  found  themselves 
in  darkness  blacker  than  coal  tar,  the  rain  having  ex- 
tinf;uished  every  spark  of  fire;  it  was  now  fast  wetting 
them  throuj^h,  and,  altogether,  the  situation  was  any- 
thing but  pleasant. 

Thev  cleared  themselves  of  what  little  de'bris  had 
fallen  on  them,  and  pulled  their  blankets  closer.  Sud- 
denly the  rain  turned  to  hail,  and  the  hailstones  in- 
creased from  the  size  of  peas  until  they  were  nearly  as 
large  as  hens'  eggs,  and  the  boys,  pulling  the  blankets 
over  their  heads,  turned  their  faces  to  the  ground,  and 
stood  the  pelting  as  best  they  could  ;  but  in  two  or  three 
cases,  where  their  hands  were  exposed,  they  had  the 
skin  taken  off  in  places  by  the  hail,  which  for  five 
minutes  came  in  torrents,  and  then  ceased  as  suddenly 
as  it  had  begun. 

The  air  also  cooled  off  rapid'y,  and  soon  the  entire 
"party,  who,  on  the  cessation  of  the  hail,  had  turned  out 
and  dressed,  were  shivering  with  cold. 

"This  will  not  do,"  said  Claude,  "we  shall  all  take 
cold.  Luckily  I  know  where  the  candhs  are,  and 
I  will  light  one,  and  then  see  if  we  can't  make  a 
fire." 

The  cook  row  groped  his  way  to  where  the  stores 
had  been  piled,  and  after  a  few  minutes  found  a  candle- 
stick, three  of  which  were  among  their  stores,  and  a 
candle,  and,  after  trying  several  wet  matches,  found  a 
dry  one,  and  succeeded  in  striking  a  light. 

Splitting  some  wood  very  fine  and  vising  plenty  of 


84 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


ii 


n 


birch  bark,  a  liberal  supply  of  wliich  tluy  had  on  hand, 
Claude  succeeded  after  a  while  in  starting  a  fire,  which 
he  craduallv  increased  until  it  threw  out  a  ruddy  glow, 
lighting  up  the  camp  perfectly,  and  sending  out  a  very 
desirable  amount  of  heat.  Around  the  fire  the  boys 
gathered  and  began  the  drying-ofT  process,  for  they 
were  all  as  wet  as  water  could  make  them. 

Claude  put  some  water  on  to  heat,  and,  when  it  had 
boiled,  made  some  Jamaica  ginger  tea,  and  each  one 
of  the  party  took  a  half-pint  of  it,  which  in  their  condi- 
tion was  the  best  thing  they  could  have  done. 

There  wr.s  no  more  sleep  that  night,  for  it  took  them 
till  daylight  to  dry  themselves  and  look  after  their  stores 
and  baggage.  Luckily  for  them,  the  stores  had  been 
well  covered  up,  and  none  of  the  food  had  been  wet. 
Claude  had  seen  enough  of  camping  never  to  leave 
anything  to  chance. 

As  they  gathered  at  breakfast,  except  the  loss  of  a 
little  sleep,  they  were  none  the  worse  for  the  storm,  and, 
now  fhat  it  had  passed,  joked  each  other  about  their 
appearance  during  the  night. 

"  Do  vou  irct  much  of  this  kind  of  weather  here  ? " 
queried  Wood,  who  had  really  been  a  little  frightened 
during  the  siorm,  for  hailstones  as  large  as  eggs  were  a 
novelty  to  him. 

"Not  very  often,"  replied  Claude.  "That  squall 
probably  was  the  result  of  two  showers  meeting," 

"  It  is  queer  there  was  no  thunder  and  lightning 
with  it,"  said  Wingate.  "  It  is  the  only  rain  squall  of 
that  kind  that  I  ever  was  in  without  getting  a  taste  of 
fireworks." 


From  Kinco  to  Sccboomook. 


85 


"  I  hope  we  won't  have  anothevone  very  soon,"  added 
Wood  ;   "this  one  will  do  me  for  all  summer." 

"  It  will  be  a  nice  day  today,"  remarked  Maynard. 
"  How  sweet  and  fresh  the  air  is.  It  will  be  more  com- 
fortable, too,  than  it  has  been  for  the  last  three  or  four 
days." 

*•  Do  you  think  it  will  be  safe,  Claude,  to  leave  our 
things  alone  all  day  ?  "  queried  Drake,  when  everybody 
was  ready  to  start. 

"  Yes,  I  don't  think  anybody  will  be  here  to-day.  I 
don't  know  of  any  other  camping  parties  in  the  vicinity, 
and  the  flies  are  so  thick  there  will  not  be  many  parties 
going  out  this  month  any  way.  Then  again,  most  of 
the  parties  from  Kineo  go  down  river,  instead  of  coming 
up,  so  I  think  we  are  safe  in  leaving  the  camp  alone." 

"  So  do  I  "  added  St.  Clair. 


l!:l 


CHAPTER  VI. 


1 


mi 


\ 


■ 


UP   THE   NORTH    BRANCH. 

The  party  ferried  themselves  across  to  the  right  side 
of  the  river,  and  then  i  .vie  their  way  along  the  bank, 
stopping  occasionally  i^  take  a  glimpse  at  the  falls. 
Part  of  "the  distance  there  was  a  good  path,  but  most  of 
the  way  the  walking  was  difficult,  and  it  was  noon  when 
they  reached  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of   Russell 

Stream. 

Claude,  Wingate,  and  Maynard  had  made  sketches 
at  different  points  on  the  river,  and  intended  to  make 
others  on  their  way  back.  The  boys  had  brought  a 
coffee  pot  with  coffee,  beside  their  lunch,  and  Foster 
filled  the  pot  with  water,  and  made  a  fire,  while  Claude 
prepared  the  lunch.  This  was  served  on  pieces  of 
birch  bark,  as  they  had  brought  -no  dishes  with  them 
except  some  drinking-cups. 

Wood  and  Drake  had  brought  their  rods  along  with 
them,  against  the  advice  of  some  of  the  older  members 
of  the  party,  and,  although  they  had  sto[^oed  several 
times  on  the  falls  for  fishing,  neither  of  them  had  seen 

a  trout. 

They  had  finished  their  dinner,  and  were  on  the  point 
of  starting  back,  when  they  heard  a  deep  baying  behind 
them,  which  continued   at  intervals,   sounding   nearer 

each  time. 

86 


'I 


up  the  Xorth  Branch. 


«7 


"  By  gracious  1"  said  Wingate,  "somebody  is  dogging 
deer  up  here.     I  wish  I  had  my  ritlc." 

''  1  have  my  gun,"  remarked  St.  Clair,  "  and  if  any 
hound  comes  in  sight  of  us,  he  never  uill  run  another 
deer,"  and  Andrew  slipped  a  couple  of  shells  into  his 
piece,  that  were  loaded  with  buckshot. 

"  Keep  quiet,  fellows,  and  let's  see  if  they  come  this 

way,"  said  Claude. 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  his  mouth  when  a  dee. 
broke  cover,  and,  passing  them  but  a  rod  away,  took 

to  the  water.  .    ,    i,r     j 

"Jerusalem!  there's  two  little  ones!"    cried   \\ood, 
as   the  two   young   ones   appeared    close   behind   the 

"A  doe   and  two  fawns,  as  true  as  Im   alne,    re- 
marked Maynard.  •  r    ^-       «f 
The  bovs  watched  them  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeincr  them  reach  the  other  side  of  the  river  in  safety 

Five  or  six  minutes  later,  a  large  hound  appeared, 
and  the  moment  he  came  in  sight  Andrew  fired  at  him, 
hitting  him  in  the  head,  and  killing  him  instantly.  He 
never  kicked  after  he  fell. 

-You  have  settled  him,"  said  Robbins,  as  the  boys 
walked  up  to  the  dead  animal ;  "  he'll  never  run  any 
more  deer  to  death." 

-That's  so,"  added  Wood,  "but  it  seems  too  bad  to 
kill  him.     He  looks  like  a  valuable  animal,  too." 
'  »  So  much  the  better,"'  replied  Claude.     "  If  he  had 
no^   run   across  us,  he  would  have  killed  the  doe  and 

fawns  both."  ,     c.     r-i  •        « 

«  Yes,"  remarked  Wingate,  "  it  was  lucky  St.  Ciair  pui 


SI 


1 


i 


88 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


an  end  to  him.  The  Maine  Game  Laws  do  not  allow 
hunting  deer  with  dogs,  and  they'll  nave  to  pass  such  a 
law  in  New  York  State,  or  there  won't  be  a  deer  left  in 
the  Adirondack  region  in  the  next  five  years." 

"  I  think  we  had  better  start  up  river,"  suggested 
Drake.  "  Probably  somebody  is  following  the  dog,  and, 
if  he  finds  us  here  with  him,  we  shall  get  into  a  row." 

"Quite  likely,"  returned  Claude,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders,  "  but  I  am  never  afraid  to  fight  in  a  good 
cause,  and  the  law  is  on  our  side." 

"That  is  so,"  put  in  Maynard,  with  a  nod  of  acquies- 
cence, "  but  we  may  as  well  start  along,  and  avoid 
trouble  if  possible." 

The  wliole  party  felt  that  this  was  a  sensible  view  to 
take  oi  the  matter,  and  they  began  retracing  their  way 
to  camp.  They  reached  their  boats  without  meeting 
anybody,  and  at  five  o'clock  were  back  on  the  island. 

They  found  their  blankets,  that  had  been  hung  up  in 
the  morning,  thoroughly  dry  and,  while  Foster  and 
Claude  busied  themselves  about  the  supper,  the  rest  of 
the  party  brought  fuel,  and  arranged  sleeping  quarters. 

That  night  they  retired  early,  enjoyed  a  good  rest  in 
spite  of  the  mosquitoes,  and  Wednesday  morning,  a.'ter 
breakfast,  they  began  packing.  At  eight  o'clock  the 
boats  were  loaded,  and  they  left  the  island. 

As  they  expected  to  have  to  do  some  wading  during 
the  day,  each  one  of  the  party  had  dressed  with  that 
end  in  view,  and  they  were  prepared  to  overcome  any 
obstacles  in  navigation  that  might  rise  in  their  course. 

They  had  good  water  for  the  first  part  of  their  voy- 
age, and  they  passed    the   upper  mouth  of    Nulheclus 


up  the  North  Branch. 


89 


i 


Stream  in  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  This 
stream  flows  into  the  Tcnobscot  fioin  the  north,  on  the 
rii;ht-hand  side  oi  the  river.  IJeyond  Nulhedus,  the 
crocks  and  turns  in  the  river  increased,  and  occasion- 
ally some  very  line  views  were  noticed.  In  two  ditfor- 
cnt  places  the  boys  stopped  to  make  sketches,  and  it 
was  half  past  ten  when  they  reached  Swan's. 

They  went  on  shore  at  this  clearing  for  a  few  moments, 
to  stretch  their  legs ;  taking  to  their  boats  again,  they 
found  the  water  grew  rapidly  shallow,  and  foi  half  a 
mile  they  had  a  chance,  the  green  ones  at  least,  to 
take  lessons  in  using  a  setting-pole. 

Alternately  poling  and  wadmg,  and  with  a  good  deal 
of  laughing  and  joking,  they  reached  the  head  of  Gulli- 
ver Falls,  passing  (iuUiver  Stream  on  the  light,  without 
any  accident  befalling  them. 

"Who  would  have  dreamed,"  said  Foster,  with  a 
smile,  "that,  in  'Gulliver's  Travels,'  the  old  gentleman 
came  clear  up  here,  in  this  far-uway  corner  of  New 
England,  and  had  things  named  for  him." 

"  I  suppose  he  waded  down  the  j  lace  we  have  just 
come  up,  and  slipped  down  once  or  twice,  and  the 
rooiters  with  him  sang  out  'Gulliver  falls,'"  and  Rob- 
bins  winked  at  his  two  companions. 

"You  ought   to   have   a   fail    after   that,"   declared 

Wood. 

"  If  you  are  all  ready,  fellows,  we'll  proceed,"  and, 
hearing  no  dissent,  Claude  dipped  his  oar,  and  the 
Petrel  moved  on  up  river. 

For  two  miles  and  a  half,  the  boys  found  dead  water, 
then  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  Big  Island,  and,  pass- 


00 


up  the  North  Branch. 


ing  to  the  ri-ht  of  il,  worked  tl.eir  way  to  tlie  head,  and 
then   hauled  out   their  boats  and   wrnt    on    shore   for 

dinner. 

"  I  wish  we  had  some  trout  for  dinner,"  remarked 
Wood,  as  h^  stood  surveying  the  isl...id. 

"  You  can  if  you  choose  to  catch  them,"  said  Clande. 

"  Are  there  trout  in  the  river  here  ?  "  and  Wood 
looked  doubtfully  into  the  wr.ter. 

"No,  not  just  here,"  replied  the  leader  of  the  party; 
*'  but  you  take  one  of  the  boats,  and  go  rp  the  river  a 
few  rodsontl.e.lcft  side,  and  you  will  6nd  the  mouth 
of  a  logon.  Follow  this  until  you  come  fo  a  pool  en- 
circled" by  lily-pads,  and,  unless  the  guidebook  lies, 
you  will  find  some  small  trout.  1  don't  suppose  you'll 
take  many,  however,  as  it  is  a  bad  hour  in  the  day  for 

fishing." 

*'I  am  willing  to  Mke  my  chances,"  replied  Wood,  as 

he  started  for  his  rod. 

"Do  you  want  company?"  inquired  Drake. 

"  Certainly." 

"Then  I'll  go  with  you.  I  had  rather  try  some  fish- 
ing than  sit  •  ound  here  doing  nothing." 

"  Don't  be  gone  over  an  hour,"  sang  out  Claude,  as 
the  boys  pushed  off,  "for  dinner  will  be  ready  by  that 

time." 

"  Where  are  we  going  to  slop  to-night,  Claude  ?  "  in- 
quired Wingate,  when  the  fishermen  had  gone. 

"  I  think  Knight's  farm  will  be  a  good  ylace,  and  we 
can  probably  get  some  supphes  there.  We  need  more 
e"-<:s,  and  that  will  be  the  last  chance  we  shall  have  to 
get  any  for  the  Lord  knows  how  long.  I  am  sure  I 
don't."' 


up  the  North  Branch. 


91 


"How  about    Canada   Falls?"  remarked    Maynard. 
"The  guidebook  says  they  :  "e  worth  lo'iking  at.  ' 

"We  can  go  and  see  what  they  look  like  to-morrow." 

"Ilowfur  are  they  from  the    Forks?"  asked  Win- 
gale. 

"  It's  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  foot  of  the  falls,  and 
they  stretch  along  the  river  for  some  distance." 

"Can  we  go  in  the  boats?"  interrogated  Robbins. 

"  We  can  with  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  My  idea  is 
to  make  a  pedestrian  excu.sion  of  it,  going  over  the  eld 

Canada  road." 

"  I  go  in  for  that,"  said  Foster;  "  we  shall  get  boating 

enough  before  the  trip  is  over." 

At  the  end  of  the  hour,  Wood  and  Drake  returned 
with  about  thirty  small  trout,  averaging  in  weight  from 
a  quarter  to  a  half  pound  each.  Some  of  the  boy? 
dressed  them,  and  Claude  and  Foster  cooked  the  entire 

catch  for  dinner. 

"That  is  a  mean  hole,"  remarked  Drake,  while  the 
party  were  eating  dinner.     "  There  are  a  thousand  flies 

for  every  fish." 

''  Say  ten  thousand,"  added  Wood,  "  and  you'll  get 

nenrt'  the  truth." 

"  Draw  it  mild,  Dave,"  said  St.  Clair. 

"  If  you  don't  believe  it,  go  and  see.  You'll  be  con- 
vinced then." 

After  dinner  was  over,  the  boys  passed  an  hour  in 
chatting,  and  then  started  for  the  Forks.  At  some 
ledges  near  King's  High  Landing,  almost  a  mile  from 
the  island,  they  stopped  a  couple  of  hours  for  f^shmg, 
all  hands  indulging  in  the  sport,  and  they  captured 


J 


92 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


-I-  2^ 


seventy-six  trout,  some  of  which  were  of  very  good  sixe. 
About  five  o'clock  they  reached  liie  Forks,  and,  turn- 
\w^  into  the  North  Branch,  ascended  it  a  few  rods,  and 
then  drew  out  their  boats  on  the  north  side,  and 
camped. 

The  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  the  whole  party 
uent  over  to  Knight's  farm,  and,  catching  him  at  home, 
Wingate  succeeded  in  buying  a  dozen  chickens,  a  very 
small  lamb,  and  six  dozen  eggs.  Finding  they  could 
get  .some  milk,  also,  they  bougiit  six  quarts,  borrowing 
a  pail  at  tlie  farm,  to  carry  it  to  camp  in,  which  they 
promised  to  return  the  next  day. 

'Ihey  had  been  very  saving  of  their  canned  meats,  as 
they  were  likely  to  run  short  of  provisions  after  leaving 
Knight's,  unless  they  had  unusually  good  luck  in  r;sh- 
ing.  Later  on,  when  shooting  came,  they  could  do 
better  for  their  larder. 

As  the  farmer  was  disposed  to  be  talkative,  they 
asked  him  a  great  many  questions  about  their  proposed 
route,  he  having  been  up  the  North  Branch  as  far  as 
Abacotnetic  Bog.  The  St.  John  waters  he  liad  not 
been  on,  but  he  knew  considerable  of  them  from  hear- 
say, and  gave  them  all  the  information  in  his  power. 

It  was  one  o'clock  when  they  reached  camp,  and,  as 
it  was  nearly  three  when  dinner  was  over,  they  gave 
up  the  excursion  to  Canada  Falls  until  the  next  day. 

Thursday  morning,  after  breakfast,  they  took  some 
1  inch,  and  started  over  the  road  for  Canada  Falls,  in- 
tending to  make  a  day  of  it.  Four  or  five  of  the  party 
carried  sketch-books,  and  two,  fire-arms,  not  that  they 
expected  to  see  anyHiing  to  shoot,  but  bt-cause  they  did 


4 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


93 


not   know  what    might    turn    up   before   the   day   was 
over. 

Nothing  unusual  happened  during  the  forenoon,  but 
in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  while  they  were  making 
their  way  back  to  where  they  had  left  their  boats  after 
crossing  the  river,  Maynard  suddenly  lost  his  footing 
when  close  to  the  bank,  and  fell  some  ten  feet  into  the 
boiling  cunent. 

The  ri\er  here  runs  through  a  succession  of  deep, 
narrow  gorges,  and  Claude  and  Wingate,  who  saw  him 
fall,  never  expected  to  see  him  again  alive,  for  it  did 
not  seem  possible  that  any  human  being  could  go 
through  that  angry  whirl  of  waters  and  escape. 

But,  through  one  of  taose  miraculous  interventions  of 
Providence,  Maynard,  after  being  carried  down  a  few 
rods,  was  washed  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree  that  had 
fallen  from  above,  one  end  of  which  still  lay  on  the 
lediie,  and,  before  his  friends  reached  him,  he  was  able 
to  crawl  out  and  get  to  the  top  of  the  ledge. 

He  had  no  limbs  broken,  but  he  was  pretty  badly 
shaken  up,  bruised  and  scarred  some,  and  badly  fright- 
ened, after  the  excitement  was  gone.  Claude  and 
Wingate  reached  him  first,  and  they  not  only  hugged 
but  kissed  him,  they  were  so  rejoiced  to  find  he  was 
not  seriously  injured. 

"  ])y  Jove,  Frank  !  "  exclaimed  Claude,  "  I  could  not 
have  felt  any  worse  if  I  had  gone  in  there  myself,  for  I 
never  expected  to  see  you  again  alive,  and  a  doubt  even 
passed  through  my  mind  as  to  whether  we  should  find 
your  body." 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  fellows,  I  have  reason  to  be 


% 


Ki 


94 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


thankful.     I  thought  I  was  a  pretty  good  swimmer,  but 
I  had  no  more  power  in  that  water  than  if  I  had  been 

a  baby." 

The  rest  of  the  party  now  came  up,  some  of  whom 
did  not  know  of  the  accident  until  that  monent,  and 
sincere  and  hearty  were  the  congratulations  offered 
Frank  on  his  wonderful  escape  from  a  frightful  death. 

"A  fellow  who  is  born  to  be  hanged  will  not  be 
drowned,"  said  Frank,  trying  to  laugh  a  little. 

The  party  now  kept  together  until  they  reached  the 
boats,  and,  as  soon  as  they  arrived  at  camp,  Frank  took 
off  his  wet  clothing,  and  Claude,  giving  him  a  dose  of 
Tamaica  '^in^er,  coaxed  him  to  lie  down  for  the  rest  of 

the  evening. 

Friday  morning,  Maynard  caid  that  he  was  all  right, 
but  at  the  same  time  acknowledged  that  he  did  net  feel 
like  exerting  himself  any,  and  it  was  decided  to  remain 
where  they  were  for  the  day. 

Saturday  morning,  Maynard  thought  he  was  able  to 
travel  again,  and,  after  the  party  had  consulted  maps 
and  guidebooks,  Claude  concluded  that  they  would  try 
and  get  as  far  as  the  foot  of  Leadbetter  Falls,  and 
remain  there  until  Monday  morning,  which  they  did. 
The  navigation  between  th  .  Forks  and  the  falls  was 
very  bad,  and  fhey  had  to  do  a  good  deal  of  wadiiJg 
and  dragging;  so,  although  they  had  only  made  four 
miles,  they  were  not  sorry  to  stop  when  they  reached 
the  falls. 

Sunday  was  spent  quietly  in  camp,  the  entire  party 
writing  letters  home,  as  this  would  be  the  last  chance 
they  expected  to  have  for  many  a  long  day. 


up  the  North  Branch. 


95 


I     ; 


Monday  morning,  Claude  and  Wingate  took  the  let- 
ters and  started  in  the  Swallow  for  Knight's  farm,  the 
man  there  having  agreed  to  take  their  letters  to  Lane's, 
for  a  consideration  in  cash,  the  next  morning ;  and  he 
promised  Claude  he  would  have  Lane  send  them  down 
the  lake  the  first  opportunity. 

It  was  half  past  twelve  when  the  boys  returned  to 
camp ;  and  Foster  and  St.  Clair,  who  were  cook  and 
assistant  for  that  week,  had  dinner  all  ready. 

As  they  wished  to  make  Dole  Brook  on  the  next 
start,  they  concluded  not  to  break  camp  until  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  and  the  afternoon  was  spent  by  each 
member  of  the  party  as  best  suited  him.  Before  night 
Claude  and  St.  Clair  went  up  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  looked  the  falls  over,  and  concluded  that  at  the 
present  stage  of  the  water  it  would  be  better  and  ^  ifer 
to  make  the  carry,  as  it  was  short,  rather  than  attempt 
to  get  the  boats  up  on  the  river. 

Accordingly,  Tuesday  morning,  they  had  breakfast  at 
six  o'clock  ;  and,  as  soon  as  it  was  over,  they  began  the 
transportation  of  their  things  across  the  carry.  The 
boats  were  taken  first,  next  the  stores,  and  lastly 
the  baggage;  and  it  was  dinner-time  when  the  last 
article  was  dropped  at  the  head  of  the  falls. 

"  I  am  glad  that  job  is  over,"  said  Claude,  dropping 
his  load  ;  "  and  now  for  dinner.  Come,  Foster,  stir 
your  stumps,  and  give  us  something  to  eat." 

"  Keep  cool,  Claude,  and  let  your  hair  grow  for 
about  fifteen  minutes,  and  we  will  be  ready  for  you." 

"  I  suppose  we  have  left  the  last  house  behind  us, 
now,"  remarked  Le  Roy,  alluding  to  Knight's  shanty. 


I<^ 


96 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"Yes,"  answereil  Claude,  "  wc  <;hal]  see  nothin^^  now 
but  some  old  lumber  camp,  until  we  get  pretty  well 
down  the  St.  John  River.  I  doubt  if  we  see  a  person 
either,  beside  the  members  of  this  party,  for  the  next 
two  months." 

"  Won't  be  crowded  for  elbow  room,"  added  Robbins. 

After  dinner,  the  boats  were  loaded,  and  navigation 
was  resumed.  As  they  ascended  the  river,  fine  views 
of  the  Green  Mountains  were  had  from  time  to  time, 
and  the  artists  in  the  party  occasionally  came  on  some 
bit  of  the '  landscape  that  they  transferred  to  their 
sketch-books.  As  they  went  on,  the  river  grew  nar- 
rower, and  the  soft-wood  ridgcs  that  were  close  to  them 
gave  way  to  a  n>ore  open  country,  that  was,  for  the  most 
part,  covered  with  a  hard-wood  growth.  The  bed  of  the 
river  also  changed  from  small  bowlders  and  rocks  to 
sand  and  gravel. 

About  four  o'clock  thev  reached  an  island  some  half- 
mile  long,  and,  taking  the  left-hand  channel,  which 
looked  the  most  promising,  they  passed  the  island,  and 
a  mile  above  reached  the  Forks  and  Dole  Brook. 

"  It  strikes  me,"  saii  Wood,  who  had  been  silent  for 
some  time,  "  that  forks  are  more  plenty  in  this  country 
than  knives." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  thinking  of  that,  Wood  ? " 
inquired  Drake,  laughing. 

**  Don't  have  to  think  up  my  jokes  the  way  you  do," 
retorted  Dave.  , 

**  Spontaneous  combustion,  isn't  it,  Dave  ?  "  queried 
Le  Roy  with  a  laugh.      * 

A  camp  site  was  selected  at  the  mouth  of  the  North- 


up  the  North  Branch. 


97 


east  Branch,  up  which  their  course  lay  next,  and  the 
boats  were  unloaded. 

When  everything  had  been  taken  from  the  boats, 
Wood  and  Drake  launched  the  Daisy  and  dropped 
down  river  a  short  distance,  to  a  pool  they  had  noticed 
coming  ..p,  and  in  an  hour's  fishing  secured  trout 
enough  for  the  whole  party's  supper. 

They  brought  back  such  glowing  accounts  of  their 
sport  that,  the  next  morning,  Robbins,  Claude,  Wingate, 
Drake,  and  Wood  went  down  to  the  pool  in  the  Swal- 
low and  Daisy,  and  took  fifty  pounds  of  trout  before 
they  became  tired  of  fishing. 

As  Tuesday's  trip  had  been  quite  a  hard  one,  they 
passed  W^ednesday  where  they  were,  and  Thursday 
morning  resumed  the  ascent  of  the  river,  going  as  far  as 
Norris  Brook  and  the  Northwest  Branch,  where  they 
camped  again,  near  the  end  of  the  toic  road,  that  runs 
to  Truesdell  Pond. 

Although  they  had  made  only  three  miles,  it  had 
been  very  difficult,  and  they  did  not  care  to  push  on 
farther  that  day.  In  the  afternoon,  Maynard,  Robbins, 
and  St.  Clair,  taking  their  fire-arms,  walked  over  to  th- 
pond,  and,  while  there,  ran  across  a  bear;  the  first  one 
they  had  seen.  He'  took  them  by  surprise,  and,  al- 
though they  all  fired,  they  did  not  kill  him,  but  the 
ground  where  the  animal  stood  was  spotted  with  blood, 
showing  that  some  of'  the  parly  had  made  a  tellinj 

shot. 

When  they  returned  to  camp,  Maynard  related  tlie 
story,  and  Wood  was  so  excited  ovor  it  that  he  wanted 
to  take  his  rifle  and  start  after  the  bear  at  once. 


98 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  'I'hat  bear  is  probably  five  or  six  miles  froi  i  where 
the  boys  saw  him  when  they  fired,"  said  Claude,  "so  I 
guess  you  will  have  to  let  him  go,  Dave." 

"  1  have  been  ihiiikiiig  over  the  route  from  here  to 
Baker  Lake,"  remarked  Claude,  as  the  party  sat  around 
the  smudge  after  supi)er,  "and,  from  what  the  men 
below  told  us,  and  what  the  guidebooks  say,  I  think 
the  next  three  or  four  days  will  be  hard  ones." 

"Which  way  shall  we  go  to  J>aker  Lake,  Claude  ? 
By  tlie  way  of  the  Bog,  or  St.  John  Pond  ? " 

"By  the  way  of  the  Bog  by  all  means,  Charlie.  It 
is  not  more  than  half  as  far  that  way,  and  just  as  good 
water  probably." 

"  When  we  eret  to  Baker  Lake,  I  move  that  we  stav 
there  a  few  days.  There  ought  to  be  good  fishing  in 
the  vicinity,  as  few  people  go  there,  and  if  we  can  r.:n 
across  a  buck  deer  I  say  shoot  him,  if  it  is  the  close 
season,  on  the  plea  of  necessity,  for  our  provisions  will 
be  running  out  soon,"  said  Robbins. 

**  Potatoes  are  all  gone  now,"  remarked  Foster. 

**We  shall  not  have  them  to  lug  over  The  next  carry, 
then  ;  that  is  one  consolation,"  added  Wood. 

Friday  morning  they  left  Norris  Brook  Camp,  expect* 
ing  to  be  at  Baker  Lake  by  Saturday  night,  but  it  was 
rot  until  the  following  Wednesday  night  that  their  eyes 
were  s:laddened  bv  that  sheet  of  water,  which  looked 
delightful  to  them,  after  the  bogs,  swamps,  and  low 
ground  that  they  had  literally  fought  their  way  through 
for  the  past  six  days,  the  flies  nearly  eating  them  up. 

A  heavy  shower  had  ha'f  drowned  them,  beside  wet- 
ling  some  of  their  stores,  while  crossing  the  carry  frcjin 


I 


up  the  North  Bmvch. 


00 


Abacotnetic  Hog  to  Baker  Bog  Stream,  and  they  were 
completely  tired  out  and  not  a  little  disgusted  with  the 
country  they  had  lately  passed  over  when  they  finally 
reached  Baker  Lake. 

"There,  that  looks  like  God's  country  again,"  re- 
marked Le  Roy,  as  they  pulled  out  on  the  upper  end 
of  the  lake,  and,  swinging  to  the  right,  soon  found  a 
desirable  camping  spot. 

It  was  five  o'clock  when  the  boats  were  unloaded, 
and  every  one  was  quite  tired  enorgh  to  turn  in,  but 
supper  kept  them  up.  But  there  was  very  little  talking 
done  after  the  evening  meal  that  night,  and  by  half 
past  eight  everybody  had  laid  down  and  was  fast  asleep. 


x-^X 


CHAPTER   VII. 


CAMPING   AT    BAKER    LAKE. 


Thursday  morning  it  was  after  eight  o'clock  before 
the  party  had  breakfast,  all  being  so  tired  out  the  night 
before  that  no  one  thought  of  rising  until  he  felt  like 
it. 

While  eating,  it  was  decided  to  spend  about  two 
weeks  at  Baker  Lake,  and  during  that  time  to  cruise 
about  wherever  there  was  a  prospect  for  sport. 

"As  we  are  going  to  stop  here  so  long,"  remarked 
St.  Clair,  "  we  ought  to  build  a  decent '  -amp,  and  I 
suggest  we  do  it  the  first  thing." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Claude,  cheerfully,  *'  we  are 
under  your  orders,  and  I  am  ready,  for  one,  to  go  to 
work." 

"  Then,  we  will  begin  immediately.  We  can  find  no 
better  location  than  this,  as  the  prospect  from  here  is 
fine,  and  the  site  commands  nearly  the  whole  view  of 
the  lake." 

Just  then,  Foster,  who  had  finished  his  breakfast, 
and  who  was  walking  down  to  the  boats,  suddenly 
stopped,  and  looked  fixedly  at  something  i  the  water, 
that  was  swimming  for  the  other  sWe  of  the  lake. 

The  object  was  perhaps  a  half  a  mile  below  the 
camp,  and  but  a  few  rods  from  the  shore ;  it  was,  how- 
ever, fast  increasing  the  distance. 


1- 

I 


:   :-y 


I 


Camfin(^  at  Baker  Lake. 


101 


"Well,  I'm  blessed  !  if  that  isn't  a  bear,  it  looks  un- 
commonly like  one,"  said  the  younj;  man  to  himself, 
and  then  calling  to  his  friends,  "  I  say,  fellows  !  there's  a 
bear  swimming  across  the  lake  !  " 

"  Where  ?  where  ? "  shouted  four  or  five  voices  ex- 
citedly. 

"There,  down  the  lak^,  about  a  half  a  mile  away. 
Don't  you  see  ! "  and  he  pointed  in  the  direction  of  the 
swimming  animal. 

The  party,  who  by  that  time  had  all  finished  break- 
fast, were  on  their  fuet  in  an  instant,  and  each  one 
caught  up  his  rille  or  gun  and  hastily  rushed  to  the 
boats.  Dish-washing,  camp-building,  and  everything 
else  in  the  way  of  work  was  forgotten  for  th??  time  being. 

Each  crew  took  its  own  boat,  and  the  Petrel  was  first 
in  the  water,  and  headed  for  Bruin,  her  crew  determined 
to  catch  the  animal  if  possib)-^. 

The  S7i'ii//o7a  was  next  launched,  and  ihe  crew 
jumped  into  her;  and  the  force  of  their  movements 
sent  the  boat  out  a  short  distance  from  the  shore, 
and,  before  the  fellows  sat  down,  the  crew  of  the  Daisy 
pushed  off  in  such  haste  that  she  struck  the  S7c>atIo7i' 
amidship,  causing  Le  Roy,  Wingate,  and  Maynard  to 
lose  their  balance,  and  sit  down  in  a  very  different 
.manner  from  what  they  had  intended  to,  overturning 
the  boat  when  they  fell. 

As  the  crew  went  into  the  lake,  Maynard  caught  at 
the  gunwale  of  the  Daisy,  also  overturning  hei,  and,  in 
less  lime  than  it  has  taken  to  write  it,  both  boats'  crews 
were  floundering  in  the  water,  while  everything  that 
had  been  in  the  boats,  that  would  not  float,  was  at  the 


III 


102 


Up  the  North  Branch: 


"  jj 


bottom  of  thn  lake.  Hut  they  were  so  near  shore  that 
the  V  Iter  w.is  only  between  five  and  six  feet  deep. 

As  the  coxswain  of  the  Pctrd  was  facing  the  bear, 
and  both  the  oarsmen  were  looking  ov«.r  ll-.eir  -.Jiuulders 
at  the  animal,  the  boat  had  gone  nearly  a  hundred  rods 
b-'fore  Claude,  tuinin^,  his  head  and  looking  to  see 
where  the  other  boats  were,  saw,  to  his  surprise  and 
amazement,  that  they  were  both  upset,  and  the  crews 
struggling  in  the  water. 

"Swing  around  for  the  camp,  Foster.  There's  some 
kind  of  a  circus  with  the  other  boats  ;  they  a'-e  both 
capsized.  Pull  hard,  Drake,  and  I'll  back  water. 
Let  us  gel  there  quickly  and  s«-e  'vhat  the  trouble  is," 

His  two  companions,  while  doing  as  he  requested, 
had  stolen  a  look  inshore,  and  were  as  much  surprised 
as  Claude  at  what  they  saw. 

"What  can  those  fellows  be  about?"  said  Foster. 
"  You  don't  suppose  they  had  a  fight  ?  " 

"Fight?  Nonsense!"  exclaimed  Claude;  "there 
isn't  a  fellow  in  the  party,  I  hope,  who  .vould  lose  his 
temper  to  that  extent.  You  can  look  for  a  better  ex- 
planation than  that." 

The  shipwrecked  crews,  in  the  mcanime  had  taken 
their  boats  far  enough  inshore  so  that  some  of  the 
fellows  could  stand  on  bottom,  and  turn  the  boats  over, 
then  they  floated  them  to  the  sand,  and  one  rifter 
another,  after  picking  up  what  things  were  floating 
about,  stepped  dripping  out  on  the  beach. 

'  What  is  the  matter  here  ?  Are  any  of  yoj  crazy  ?  " 
sang  out  Claude,  as  the  Petrel  neared  the  shore. 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  ask  such  a  question,"  replied 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


103 


V.'iiiLjalc.  ''X\\Q.  Daisy  coUiilcd  v'th  us  in  launching;, 
niul  both  boats  were  capsized  in  a  moment.  lUit  don't 
bother  with  us.  We  are  all  right.  Go  for  the  bear,  or 
you'll  lose  him." 

*' We'll  see  you  later,  then,"  observed  Claude,  and 
the  /'^'//v/ dashed  away  again  after  Bruin,  who  wps  now 
more  than  half-way  across  the  lake. 

After  the  Swallows  and  the  Daisies  had  emptied  the 
water  out  of  their  boats,  they  turned  their  attention  to 
recovering  their  firearms,  and  se\eval  other  articles, 
that,  as  Wood  jocoboly  remarked,  "were  just  buo\ant 
enough  to  sink." 

This  kept  every  fellow  in  the  two  crews  busy  until 
noon,  and  then  they  went  to  camp,  and  put  on  dry 
clothing,  and,  wringing  the  water  out  of  that  they  had 
shed,  hung  the  garments  up  ;o  dry. 

"I  declare,  I  don't  see  where  those  fellows  nre,"  re- 
marked St.  Clair,  as  they  began  getting  dinner. 

"Nor  I,"  answered  Robbins.  "They  not  only 
landed  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  but  must  have 
chased  that  bear  a  long  distance  into  the  woods.  And 
if  they  fired  at  him,  I  did  not  hear  any  report." 

"  Thej  have  nothi->g  to  eat  wit!  tnem,  so  I  think 
they'll  be  back  by  the  time  dinner  is  ready."  And  St. 
Clair  continued  to  bn-,y  himself  in  its  preparation.  As 
tiicre  was  no  probability  of  its  being  ready  for  an  hour, 
the  other  four  fellows  busied  themselves  in  getting 
material  for  the  camp. 

When  dinner  was  all  ready  but  dishing-up.  Si. 
Clair  cast  a  long,  searching  glance  across  the  lake .  but 
no  boat  appeared  in  sight,  and  he  began  to  feel  a  iittle 
worried. 


% 


104 


Up  the  North  Bmuch. 


"  I  declare,  I  don't  understand  why  those  fellows  are 
not  back  here.  It  seems  to  me  that  they  must  be  in 
trouble  of  some  kind."  And  the  cook  glanced  uneasily 
at  his  assistant. 

"I  did  not  suppose  they  would  be  away  all  the  fore- 
noon," remarked  Robbins ;  "  but  they  may  have 
found  the  trail  of  a  deer  or  moose,  and  let  the  bear 
Slide,  and  followed  the  other  animal.  I'll  tell  you  what 
we'll  do,  Andrew.  If  they  are  not  here  when  dinner  is 
over  and  the  dishes  washed,  we'll  row  across  the  lake, 
find  out  where  they  landed,  and  see  if  we  can  find 
them." 

"  All  right,  and  now  call  the  fellows  to  dinner." 
Robbins  performed  this  duty  by  sending  forth  a  war 
whoop  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a    New  York 
milkman,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  boys  appeared. 

While  they  ate  dinner  the  absence  of  their  friends 
was  freely  commented  on,  and  caused  a  little  anxiety  ; 
but  no  one  doubted  but  they  would  put  in  an  appear- 
ance by  night. 

As  soon  as  the  cook  and  his  assistant  had  finished 
their  work,  they  started  in  the  Swallow  for  the  other 
side  of  the  lake,  and,  after  skitting  the  shore  for  half  a 
mile,  discovered  the  Petrel  drawn  up  on  the  beach, 
and,  swinging  towards  it,  ran  ashore  and  pulled  theirs 
up  beside  it. 

Glancing  around,  they  saw  where  the  bear  had  left 
the  water  and  taken  to  the  woods,  and  they  started 
slowly  on  the  trail. 

It  led  up  over  a  knoll  covered  with  a  mixed  growth, 
then  acrc~.s  a  little  valley,  beyond  which  the  ground  was 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


105 


dotted  with  large  bowlders  and  dead  stumps,  showing 
that  at  some  time  fire  had  swept  across  it. 

Clearing  the  piece  of  bowlders,  they  suddenly  heard 
voices  beyond  them,  and,  stopping  for  a  moment,  they 
listened.  They  heard  them  again  distinctly,  and  St. 
Clair  called  out,  "  Claude  !  " 

"Hulloa!  "  came  back  from  ?.  pol  .  a  little  to  the 
left  of  the  direction  in  which  they  were  heading. 

"  That  you,  Claude  ?  " 

"  You  can  bet  it  is,  Andrew,"  ami  in  another  moment 
the  two  parties  met,  and  a  general  hand-shaking  en- 
sued. 

"  Why  in  sixty  didn't  you  come  back  at  dinner 
time  ?  "  queried  Robbins. 

"  Because  we  hoped  not  to  come  back  empty- 
handed,"  answered  Claude. 

*'  Well,  what  have  you  seen  or  shot  ?  "  inquired  St. 
Clair,  as  the  party  began  retracing  their  steps  towards 
the  lake. 

"  Shot  nothing,"  replied  Claude.  "  We  had  a  glimpse 
of  the  bear  when  he  took  to  the  woods,  and  that  was  the 
last  we  saw  of  him.  We  followed  his  trail  a  couple  of 
miles  perhaps,  then  came  to  deer  droppings  and  plenty 
of  tracks,  and,  selecting  what  apperred  the  freshest, 
we  followed  on  the  trail  until  we  became  tired  and  con- 
founded hungry,  and  then  turned  for  the  lake,  and,  when 
you  met  us,  were  making  the  best  time  we  could  for  it." 

"  That  is  rather  a  tame  story,"  said  Robbins. 

"  True,  nevertheless,  George.  You  can't  expect  to 
have  startling  iidventureS'  ever)^  day.  And  it's  lucky  we 
don't.     It  would  work  our  nervous  system  too  hard." 


^j 


I 


100 


up  the  North  BrancK 


"Mow  did  you  lubbers  tip  over  your  boats?"  in- 
quired Foster. 

St.  Cl.iir  laughed. 

"  That  was  the  queerest  thinj;  I  ever  saw."  And 
Andrew  told  the  story  to  a  finish  just  as  they  reached 
the  beach. 

Launching  their  swift  craft,  they  were  soon  at  the 
camp,  and  St.  Clair  and  Robbins  began  preparations 
for  supper,  while  the  crew  of  the  Petrel^  who  declared 
they  were  not  too  tired  to  work,  joined  the  rest  of  the 
party,  who  were  back  in  the  woods,  a  short  distance, 
getting  the  material  for  the  camp  together, 

Friday  and  Saturday  were  passed  in  working  on  the 
camp,  and  Saturday  night  saw  it  completed,  as  well  as  a 
small  store-room,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  whole 
party.  St.  Clair's  t'.ne  as  cook  ended  Saturday  night, 
and  Robbins  took  his  place,  while  Maynard  became 
Robbins'  assistant. 

"  Here  is  the  last  of  the  beans,  and  the  meat  is  most 
gone,"  said  Robbins,  as  he  served  up  the  breakfast 
Sunday  morning.  "  We  shall  have  to  bestir  ourselves 
in  the  way  of  tishing  and  hunting  next  week,  or  we 
shall  wake  up  some  morning  and  find  we  shall  have  to 
suck  our  thumbs  for  breakfast." 

"  Ever  try  that,  George  ?  "  inquired  Foster,  smiling. 

"  No,  and  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  compelled  to  this 
trip  at  least." 

"  We'll  see  what  can  be  done  to-morrow,**  remarked 
Claude,  "  but  as  to-day  is  Sunday  I  am  going  to  spend 
it  in  sketching." 

Several  others  announced  their  intention  of  doing  the 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


107 


\ 


same  thin.c:,  ^vhilc  Wingale,  who  was  keeping  a  diary, 
announced  his  intenlion  ot  writing  it  np. 

"  Don't  get  too  much  potash  in  it,"  advised  Foster, 
and  the  boys  smiled  at  this  caustic  remarK. 

"One  thing  I  want  you  fellows  to  understand,"  said 
Robbins,  as  the  party  arose  from  the  table,  "  and  that 
is  there  will  be  only  two  meals  to-day.  It's  ten  o'clock 
now,  .i:^d  we  shall  have  dinner  at  four  o'clock,  and  if 
any  fellow  gets  hungry  before  then  h-:  can  go  to  the 
cupboard.'* 

"Where  will  he  find  it  ?  "  queried  Wood. 
"  I'll  tell  you  some  other  time,  when   I  am  not  so 
busy,"  and  the  cook  Vegan  clearing  the  table. 

"\vho  would  like  to  take  a  row  down  the  lake  with 
me  ? "  queried  Le  Roy,  gazing  around  him. 

"  I  would,"  said  St.  Clair.     "  And  I,"  added  Drake. 
"  All  right ;  we'll  go  in  the  Swallow.'" 
Taking     their      firearms     and     ammunition,     they 
launched   the  boat,  Le  Roy  acting  as  coxswain,  while 
St.  Clair  and  Drake  rowed. 

In  hope  of  seeing  something  to  shoot,  they  skirted 
the  northern  shore,  following  it  quite  closely,  until  they 
reached  the  outlet.  Passing  it,  without  going  into  the 
river,  they  continued  on  up  the  south  shore.  Half  a 
mile  from  the  foot  of  the  lake  they  passed  the  mouth  of 
a  small  brook,  and  a  short  distance  beyond  came  to  a 
point  which  extended  for  quite  a  distance  into  the  lake, 
and  upon  this  they  landed.  After  hauling  thuir  boat 
up  carefully,  they  took  their  f^re-arms  and  started  back 
into  ihe  Vv'oods,  Le  Roy,  who  had  a  compass,  going 
ahead. 


t 
1 


■^ 


ill 


llH 


/•? 


C//f  the  North  Branch, 


I 


.a 


B 


After  proceedin,i;  a  short  distance,  St.  Clair  propost^d 
that  they  should  bear  a  little  more  to  the  north,  strike 
the  brook  whose  mouth  they  had  passed,  and  follow  it 
up  for  a  while  and  see  what  it  looked  like. 

His  companions  readilv  fell  in  with  his  suggestion, 
as  they  had  nothing  better  to  offer,  and,  swinging  to 
the  right,  fifteen  minutes'  walk  brought  them  to  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  some  twenty  feet  wide  at  that 
point.  Turning  to  the  left,  they  began  following  it  up. 
l^oth  hard  and  soft  timber  grew  along  the  water-course, 
and  some  of 'the  old-growth  trees  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  boys,  on  account  of  their  size  and 
beauty. 

"  My  stars !  Isn't  this  a  splendid  forest ! "  e.vclaimed 
Le  Roy,  as  they  stood  before  a  yellow  birch,  which  was 
some  three  feet  or  n^ore  in  diameter,  and  which  ran  up 
as  straight  as  the  side  of  a  house  for  seventy-five  feet 
before  it  put  out  a  limb. 

"  It's  magnificent,"  replied  St.  Clair,  "  and  there  is 
not  a  great  deal  of  underbrush  about  here  either." 

Continuing  on  up  the  brook  for  half  a  mile  farther, 
the  sound  of  falling  water  came  to  their  ears,  and  soon 
after  they  were  surprised  to  see  a  dam,  almost  four  feet 
high,  across  the  stream. 

"There's  a  dam,"  said  Drake,  "and  it's  a  peculiar- 
looking  one,  too." 

"You  must  not  talk  about  dams  to-day.  It's  Sun- 
day," remarked  St.  Chir, 

"  You  don't  say  !  "  replied  Drake.  "  But  I  don't  un- 
derstand what  a  dam  is  built  'way  up  here  on  this  little 
stream  for." 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


109 


(« 


I  can  tell   you,"  said   Le   Roy,  "  it's   to  hold  the 
water  back." 

"  Wise  youth,"  and  Drake  gave  his  friend  a  punch  in 
the  ribs. 

St.  Clairj  who  had  been  eying  the  dam  very  care- 
fully from  their  first  sight  of  it,  now  noaced  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  stream,  above  the  dam,  an  object 
that  looked  somewhat  like  the  top  of  a  haystack,  and 
the  thought  suddenly  flashed  tlirough  his  mind  that 
they  had  discovered  a  beaver  dam  and  house, 

"Great  snakes,  fellows!"  he  exclaimed,  stopping  a 
moment  in  his  excitement.  "  I'll  bet  a  hundied  dollars 
that  beavers  have  been  at  work  here." 

"  liei  your  small  change  first,  Andrew,"  advised 
Drake,  laughing. 

"  Now,  fellows,  move  carefully,  and  don't  talk  any," 
whispered  Si.  Clair,  "and  if  there  are  any  beavers  here 
now,  we  may  get  a  sight  of  one.  I'd  give  a  dollar,  in  a 
moment,  to  see  one." 

"  So  would  I,"  added  Le  Roy,  as  they  made  a  silent 
approach  toward  the  structure,  keeping  back,  at  the 
same  lime,  a  little  farther  from  the  stream. 

Fifteen  minutes'  careful  work  brought  them  just  be- 
low the  dam,  and  here  the  banks  of  the  stream  were 
high,  and,  securing  a  spot  from  which  they  could  look 
down  on  the  stream,  the  dam,  and  the  lodge,  they  sat 
down  to  await  developments. 

They  noticed  that  the  dam  made  quite  a  pond,  the 
whole  of  which,  in  fact,  they  could  not  see,  as  up  liie 
stream,  a  short  distance,  the  land  fell  almost  back  to 
a  level,  and  a  sharp  turn  in  the  brook  concealed  the 
liL-nd  of  the  pond. 


.  M 


110 


up  the  North  Branch. 


1: 


R    ! 


They  were  much  interested  in  the  structure  of  llic 
dam,  and  determined  to  get  a  nearer  view  of  it  before 
they  returned  to  camp.  From  where  they  sat,  how- 
ever, they  couhl  see  that  it  was  coniposed  of  small 
trees,  limbs,  grass,  mud,  and  other  material. 

When  tiiey  had  been  watching  about  ten  minutes, 
they  were  gratified  by  the  sight  of  a  beaver,  coming  to 
the  surface  of  the  water,  probably  from  the  lodge ;  ll;c 
animal  swam  to  the  top  of  the  dam,  and  climbed  out 
on  it. 

The  bovs-watched  the  creature  eagerlv,  and  scon  it 
was  joined  by  another,  and  another,  until  finally  there 
were  seven  on  the  dam.  Five  of  them,  however,  IJ-c 
boys  noticed,  were  smaller  than  the  others,  and  .St. 
Clair,  who  had  read  considerable  about  them,  said  it 
was  a  family,  old  and  young. 

The  beavers  did  n'^t  stay  on  the  dam  long,  but  dis- 
appeared in  the  woods  on  their  side  of  the  stream,  and 
then  the  bovs  went  down  to  examine  the  dam. 

It  was  about  forty-five  feet  long,  and  seemed  very 
solidly  put  together.  Some  of  the  limbs  used  in  iis 
construction  were  six  inches  in  diameter,  and,  although 
the  pieces  were  of  all  lengths,  tho  dam  was  perfecily 
tight,  up  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  top. 

*' J>y  gracious!  one  wouldn't  suppose  it  possible  that 
those  animals  could  do  such  a  piece  of  work  as  that," 
exclaimed  Drake,  as,  wading  across  the  bed  of  the 
stream,  which  was  plentifully  sprinkled  with  large 
stones,  they  examined  critically  the  structure  of  the 
dam. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  brook,  they  went  as  near 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


Ill 


the  lodge  as  they  could,  it  being  about  eight  feet  from 
the  shore,  and  took  a  good  look  at  it. 

"There  is  some  of  the  beaver's  mason  work,"  said 
St.  Clair,  pointing  to  the  top  of  the  lodge,  that  had 
been  finished  quite  smooth ;  "  they  do  that  with  their 
tails." 

"  It  looks  as  if  it  was  made  of  mud,  grass,  and 
small  twigs,  plastered  together,"  said  Drake. 

"  So  it  is,"  replied  St.  Clair,  ♦'  But  let  us  follow  the 
stream  up  a  little  way,  and  see  how  long  this  pond  is." 

About  a  hundred  yards  brcaight  them  to  the  bend  of 
the  stream,  and  they  found  the  slack  water  extended 
about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  beyond.  During  this  halt 
they  saw  where  the  beavers  had  been  at  work  on  the 
frees,  and  each  of  the  boys  obtained  some  chips  and 
cuttings  to  carry  back  to  camp,  to  show  their  friends. 

After  a  few  minutes'  stay  here,  they  returned  to  the 
dam ;  but,  although  they  waited  there  some  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes,  the  beavers  did  i.cr  appear,  and  St. 
Clair  thought  they  were  away  after  fond. 

The  bo}s  crossed  the  stream  a  little  farther  away 
from  the  dam  this  time,  and,  after  stepping  on  shore, 
turned,  and  watched  the  beaver  dam  and  lodge  for  a 
few  moments,  but  nothing  came  in  sight. 

"The  other  fellows  must  come  over  here  with  us,  and 
see  this  dam  and  beaver  house,"  said  Le  Roy,  us  they 
started  toward  the  lake. 

"  That's  s  >,"  added  St.  Clair.  *'  I  want  to  come  again 
myself,  and  next  Sunday  we  can  all  make  an  excursion 
up  here." 

"  If  there  was  any  way  of  getting  one  of  those  skins 


5   ! 


i 


li 


112 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


■a  :Mt 

'"1 


home    with   him,"   remarked    Drake,   "afello-.v    might 
have  a  plug  hat  from  his  own  beaver." 

"You'd  be  a  pretty-looking  peep  in  a  plug  hat,  Rob," 
said  Le  Roy,  slapping  his  friend  on  the  shoulde.'. 

"Would  I?  What's  the  matter  with  my  head,  I'd 
like  to  know? " 

"  Empty,"  replied  St.  Clair,  quickly,  with  a  chuckle. 

"What  time  is  it,  Andrew.?  I  left  my  watch  at 
camp." 

"Two-thirty^  Tommy.  We've  an  hour  and  a  half 
before  dinner." 

"T'.at  is  time  enough  to  get  to  camp,"  said 
Drake. 

As  they  were  turning  awny  from  the  river,  they  came 
suddenly  in  sight  of  a  deer,  a  large  buck,  that  was 
evidently  heading  for  the  stream,  and  which  was  not 
more  than  four  rods  from  them. 

Both  parlies  stopped,  as  if  they  had  been  shot,  but 
the  buck  recovered  the  use  or  his  senses  first,  and, 
wheeling  around,  disappeared  in  the  opposite  direction, 
the  boys  all  managing  to  get  in  a  shot  at  him  at  long 
range,  which  only  served  to  frighten  him  more. 

"  Thunder  and  Mars  !  if  that  isn't  too  provoking !  " 
cried  St.  Clair.  "Tliere's  seventy-five  ">  a  hundred 
pounds  of  good  meat  gone  to  grass." 

"  We  fellows  better  all  kick  each  other,  and  see  if  we 
cnn't  get  woke  up,"  suj;gested  Le  Roy. 

"  No,  thanks,"  said  Drake  ;  "  I  can  get  along  with- 
out it.  But  there  is  nothing  mean  r.bout  me,  and,  if 
you  and  Andrew  wish  to  be  kicked,  I  shall  bt  happy  to 
do  it." 


nil 


Camping  at  Baker  Lak\ 


113 


"  Well,  the  idea  of  three  of  us  firing  at  that  buck  and 
missing  him." 

"  The  only  trouble  was,  we  didn't  fire  quick  enough, 
Tommv." 

"  Uy  gracious !  don't  say  anything  about  this  at  camp. 
The  fellows  will  make  game  of  us." 

'* That's  more  than  we  did  of  the  deer,  Andrew;  how- 
ever, I  will  keep  quiet,  if  you  say  so,"  and  Drake  winked 
at  his  vexed  friend  in  a  way  that  was  exasperating. 

*"  Partridges  are  not  very  thick  around  here,"  said 
Drake.     *'  I  haven't  seen  one  to-day." 

"  They  are  not  of  any  size  to  shoot,  if  we  do  see 
them,"  replied  Le  Roy.  "The  law  hits  the  nail  on 
the  head  in  regard  to  partridges.  It  does  not  allow 
them  to  be  shot  until  the  ist  of  September,  rnd  nobody 
but  a  jackass  would  shoot  them  before  tha"  time,  as 
they  are  not  large  enough." 

"  If  I  should  meet  one  the  last  day  of  August,  I  think 
I  should  shoot  it,"  remarked  Drake. 

"  Shoot  at  it,  you  mean,"  added  St.  Claif,  laugh- 
ing. 

When  the  boys  reached  camp  they  found  dinner  all 
ready,  and  the  rest  of  their  friends  impatiently  awaiting 
their  arrival. 

*•  Now,  where  have  you  been  and  what  have  you  dis- 
covered ?  "  asked  Claude  when  all  were  at  the  table. 

"Answer  him,  Tommy,"  said  St.  Clair,  "I'm  too 
hungry." 

"In  the  first  place,"  began  Le  Roy,  "  we  pulled  down 
the  lake  to  the  outlet,  ppssing  it  without  stopping,  and 
began  to  retrace  our  way  along  the  south  shore.     We 


114 


Up  the  Xorth  Branch. 


Iili 


i,r>on  came  to  a  small  brook,  and  beyond  it  quite  a 
point,  and  on  this  we  landed." 

''I  sec,"  said  Claude,  arr!ily,  ''you  made  it  a  point 
to  land  there." 

'•Not  by  a  long  chalU,"  winked  the  narrator;  "(ho 
point  was  made  before  ever  such  fellows  as  you,  witli 
your  cheap  jokes,  were  thought  of." 

"Take  a  back  seat,  Claude,"  cried  Maynard,  laugh- 


ing. 


•*I  .<^'"iss  I  shall  have  to,"  good-naturedly  acknowl- 
edged tne  leader  of  the  party.  "  Tommy  is  wide  awake 
to-day." 

"  If  the  flies  had  bit  you  the  way  they  have  me,  youM 
be  wide  awake.  I'ut  no  matter ;  as  I  said  before,  we 
landed  on  the  point." 

"Then  that  point  is  settled,"  put  in  Claude,  who 
thought  he'd  try  it  the  second  time.  Ilut  Tommy  was 
on  deck  again,  and  replied  sharply. 

"Settled,  you  lunk  head.?  No,  it  isn't  settled. 
There  is  not  a  habitation  of  any  kinil  nor  was  there  a 
single  person  around  there  beside  ourselves." 

"  Has  you  again,"  laughed  Maynard. 

"Are  you  fellows  going  to  fight  on  that  point  all 
day?"  queried  Robbins.  "  Gd  on  with  your  story, 
Tommy." 

"Yes,  do  stray  from  that  point,"  added  Foster. 

Le  Roy  shied  a  piece  of  hardtack  at  the  Californian's 
head,  which  Foster  neatly  dodged  and  then  continued  his 
storv,  — 

"We  left  the  point  — " 

"I'm  glad  )ou  didn't  take  it  with  you,"  ciiuckled 


Camping  at  Baker  Lake. 


115 


VVinj^ate,  and  at  this  there  was  an  explosion  all  around 
the  table. 

VVhon  the  laughter  was  over,  in  which  Le  Roy 
could  not  help.joiiiitig,  for  mirth  is  contaglo-i-s,  he 
said  :  — 

"  Now,  look  here,  fellows,  a  joke  is  a  joke.  But  cut 
me  up  into  shoestrings  if  I  tell  you  another  word,  unless 
you  will  keep  silent.     Can  you  swallow  that  ? " 

"  I  will  assert  my  authority,  Tommy,"  remarked  Rob- 
bins,  "and  be  responsible  for  the  good  behavior  of  the 
company.  Now,  gentlemen,  silence  !  Mr.  Le  Roy  has 
the  tioor." 

Tommy,  looking  at  his  friends  a  little  doubtfully, 
began  :  — 

"  We  travelled  in  the  woods  some  distance,  and  then 
bore  to  the  right  until  we  struck  the  brook  I  spoke  of 
before,  and,  following  it  up  a  mile  or  so,  came  in  sight  of 
a  dam." 

"  Very  unusual  sight,"  interrupted  Foster. 

"  You  are  right,  Billy,  for  it  was  a  beaver  dam." 

"  A  beaver  dam  ? "  cried  several. 

*'  Yes,"  replied  Le  Roy,  "  and  we  saw  seven  beavers." 

•'  Jerusalem  !  "  cried  Maynard,  "  I  wish  I  had  been 
with  you." 

"  So  do  I,"  echoed  Claude. 

♦'  Did  you  get  a  shot  at  them  ?  "  inquired  Wood. 

*•  No,  sir.  We  thought  if  we  fired  at  them  we  should 
frighten  them,  and,  thinking  you  would  all  like  to  see 
them,  we  were  very  careful  how  we  worked  arojnd 
there 

"  That  was  very  considerate  in   you,  Tommy, '  re- 


11,5 


Up  the  North  Pyiwuch. 


marked  Claude,  *'  and  we  will  all  go  and  take  a  look  at 
ihem  some  day." 

"They  have  a  house  there,  too,"  added  St.  Clair. 

*'  Ves,  and  the  dam  is  a  wonderful  piece  of  work.'' 
And  Le  Roy  went  on  to  describe  the  dam  and  house  at 
some  length. 

When  he  had  finished,  those  of  the  party  who  had 
not  been  to  the  beaver  dam  -""-^ounced  their  intention 
of  visiting  it  the  next  Sunday,  nd  the  evening  was 
pleasantly  passed  in  the  discussion  of  beavers  and  their 
habits,  each  one  telling  the  others  what  he  had  read  on 
the  subject,  and  it  was  ten  o'clock  when  they  retired  for 
the  nig'iii;. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


A    BATTLE   WITH    WOLVES. 

About  midnight  Claude  awoke  from  the  noise  made 
by  some  animal  coming  into  the  imp  ;  but,  before  he 
could  '^all  the  others,  a  number  oC  dark  bodies  c.^ne 
bounding  along  in  front  of  the  cabin,  apparently  in 
pursuit  of  the  other  animal,  which  had  daslied  in 
among  the  sleepers  and  taken  refuge  in  the  farther 
comer  of  the  camp. 

The  fire  had  burned  so  low  that  it  gave  only  tlie 
faintest  flicker  of  light,  and,  while  Claude  was  wonder- 
ing what  manner  of  wild  beasts  was  gathered  around 
the  doorway,  a  peculiar  barking  and  snarling  among 
them  settled  the  question  in  his  mind  very  quickly,  and 
he  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  wolves. 
This  gave  him  such  a  start  that  for  a  moment  he  was 
faint,  but,  rising  above  this  cowardly  feeling,  he  jumped 
to  his  feet,  shouting,  "  Awake,  fellows  !  to  a^ms  !  we  are 
besieged  by  wolves." 

He  knew  just  where  !iis  Winchester  rifle  hung,  and  he 
made  a  dash  for  it,  the  other  boys  jumpmg  for  their 
arms  almost  as  quickly. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  fellows,  be  careful  and  not  shoot 
each  other^"  said  the  leader,  as  the  different  members 

117 


118 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


of  the  party,  wild  with  exciteinent,  grasped  their  guns 
and  rifles  and  turned  toward  the  doorway. 

The  wolves  had  apparently  stopped  for  a  moment  to 
consider  the  situation,  for  the  gray  wolf  is  a  very  cun- 
nmg  animal,  but  at  the  end  of  that  moment  the  boys 
had  opened  fire  on  them,  which,  at  such  short  range,  had 
done  fearful  execution.  For,  as  dark  as  it  was,  the  'boys 
could  see  a  cleared  space  where  a  moment  before  was 
a  moving  mass. 

"  We've  settled  their  hash,"  cried  Foster,  after  the 
first  volley  had  been  fired.  But  he  had  begun  braggin- 
too  quick,  for  the  next  moment,  with  bloodthirsty  howls'' 
the  maddened  wolves  dashed  through  the  doorway,  and' 
although  some  of  the  boys  shot  a  few  more,  it  seemed 
in  a  second  to  the  affrighted  boys  that  the  camp  was 
full  of  the  savage  beasts. 

"  Don't  shoot  any  more  !  Some  of  us  will  get  hurt ' 
Club  your  guns  and  rifles,  or  use  your  knives  if  you 
can  get  at  them." 

There  was  no  chance  for  Claude  to  say  anything 
more,  for  the  next  moment  he  and  every  other  men> 
bcr  of  the  party  were  fighting  for  their  lives. 

The  confusion  was  frightful.  Boys  and  wolves  mixed 
together  in  every  way.  As  fast  as  one  wolf  was 
knocked  down  or  despatched  another  took  his  place 
A  half-dozen  different  combats  were  going  on,  in  which 
numbers  predominated  sometimes  on  the  part  of  those 
assailed,  but  more  frequently  on  the  pan  of  the  assail- 
ants. In  five  minutes  every  member  of  the  party  was 
more  or  less  wounded,  and  it  looked  as  if  the  boys 
would  certainly  get  the  worst  of  it,  when  Claude,  who 


3y.-JF?ai:3'«.lfc 


■a°3!5acg!aHEryj 


tSSSi 


A  Battle  with  Wolves. 


119 


saw  the  doorway  was  a  little  clear,  made  a  rush  for  the 
outside  of  the  cabin,  shouting  as  he  did  so,  "  Get  out- 
doors, fellows,  if  you  can." 

He  succeeded  in  getting  out  himself,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  three  wolves,  which  he  shot  in  as  many 
seconds,  as  he  had  fired  only  twice  while  indoors. 

Wingate  and  Maynard  were  also  enabled  to  fight 
their  way  out,  and  four  wolves  pursued  them,  which  the 
young  fellows  quickly  despatched. 

As  the  other  boys  did  not  come  out,  the  three  outside 
dashed  in  again  \o  their  relief,  and  found  their  iix 
companions  fighting  valiantly. 

In  the  semi-darkness,  Claude  saw  Robbins  battling 
vvi-h  two  of  the  brutes,  and,  putting  the  muzzle  of  his 
,..Hr:  on  one  of  them,  he  blew  a  hole  clear  through  him, 
..early  an  inch  in  diameter.  At  the  same  time,  George, 
who  had  been  lucky  enough  to  secure  his  knife  when 
the  fight  commenced,  plunged  it  to  the  hilt  in  the  other 
animal,  and  he  dropped  to  the  tioor. 

Wingate  and  Maynard  had  aided  their  struggling 
friends'so  well  that  all  the  wolves  but  two  were  killed 
inside,  and  these  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  but,  before  they 
could  gain  the  shelter  of  the  forest  they  were  shot  by 
Wingate  and  Maynard,  who  rushed  out  after  them. 

"  Is  every  one  alive  ? "  inc  .ired  Claude,  when  si- 
lence took  the  place  of  the  somewhat  noisy  combat. 

"  I  am  ! "  "I  am  !  "  "  I  am  !  "  exclaimed  one  after 
another,  until  all  had  been  heard  from. 

"Then,  Wingate  and  Maynard,  start  a  fire,  and, 
Claude,  light  a  candle,"  ordered  Robbins. 

It  took  some  time  to  find  the  candles,  but  finally  two 


120 


Up  the  Xorth  Branch. 


of  them  were  lighted,  and  the  seven  fellows  in  the  camp 
looked  around  them. 

A  cry  of  astonishment  burst  from  the  lips  of  each  as 
they  saw  one  another  distinctly,  for  there  was  not  one 
of  the  seven  but  showed  bloody  marks  of  the  fi-ht 
while  the  wolves  lay  in  every  direction,  three  of  which 
were  yet  alive,  and,  under  the  rays  of  the  candles,  be-an 
struggling  to  their  feet.  They  were  immediately  shot 
however.  ' 

At  the  sound  of  the  reports,   VVingate  and  Maynard 
rushed  m   to  see  what  the  troul^le  was,  and,  as  thev 
caught  sight  of  their  friends,  Wingate  cried  :  — 
"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?  " 

"Only  took  what  fight  there  was  left  out  of  three 
wounded  wolves  that  were  trying  to  get  on  their  pins 
ngam,"  answered  Claude.  Then  he  continued  with  a 
smile,  "  Vou  and  Maynard  look  as  if  vou  had  been 
having  a  prize  fight." 

"  Do  we  .?  "  said  Maynard.  "  I  can  return  the  com- 
pliment. A  more  ferocio-is-looking  set  of  brigands  I 
never  saw.     Every  one  of  you  is  marked  with  blood." 

"Great  guns!  what  is  that  in  the  corner .'"  inquired 
Wingate,  pointing  to  one  corner  of  the  cabin. 

The  boys  turned  and  looked  where  he  pointed  and 
Ihere,  close  against  the  wall,  crouched  an  animal,  which 
the  boys  saw  was  a  deer. 

^  "  It's  a  doe  !  "  cried  Claude.  "  The  wolves  were  chas- 
ing her,  and  she  ran  in  here  to  escape  them  We  have 
saved  her  life,  but  we  came  mighty  near  losing  our  own 
in  the  attempt." 

The   poor  animal  looked  frightened    to  death,    and 


A  Battle  ivith  Wolves. 


121 


trembled  in  every  limb  ;  its  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  boys 
with  a  pitiful  expression,  as  if  imploring  their  mercy. 

Taking  a  little  salt  from  bag,  Claude  went  up  to 
the  doe,  which  shrank  C:  .ser  to  the  wall  on  his  ap- 
proach. When  within  reach,  he  held  out  the  hand  that 
contained  the  salt.  The  doe  smclled  of  it  for  a  mo- 
ment, then  began  lapping  it,  and,  after  she  ate  it,  Claude 
patted  her,  and  stroked  her  head  a  little,  and  she  soon 
recovered  from  her  fright ;  the  boys  concluded  to  let 
her  stay  where  she  was  for  the  rest  of  the  night,  and  in 
half  an  hour  she  lay  down,  apparently  contented. 

Wingate  and  Maynard  went  back  to  attend  to  the 
fire,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  began  dragging  the 
dead  wolves  outdoors.  They  counted  them  as  they  took 
them  out,  and  found  thirteen.  By  this  time  the  fire 
was  sending  up  a  cheerful  blaze,  lighting  up  the  ground 
for  some  way  around  them,  and  sending  a  glimmer  far 
out  across  the  silent  waters  of  the  lake. 

Seven  wolves  were  found  to  have  been  killed  by  the 
first  fire,  making  in  all,  with  those  afterward  shot  out- 
doors, twenty-nine,  and  the  whole  pack  had  been  exter- 
minated. 

The  party  now  began  to  turn  their  attention  to  their 
wounds,  none  of  which  were  serious,  although  some 
were  of  a  painful  nature,  and  would  be  likely  to  cause 
trouble  for  several  days. 

After  washing  the  blood  off  themselves,  court-plaster 
and  salves  were  applied  to  the  wounds,  each  of  the 
boys  helping  the  "thers  where  help  was  needed,  and  by 
two  o'clock  they  were  all  feeling  better. 

A  few  of  the  party  slept  with  the  most  of  their  cloth- 


PI 


122 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


•ing  on,  some  with  only  .1  shirt  and  drawers,  and  others 
in  night  shirts.  Those  who  had  on  tlie  least  clothing 
had  fared  the  worst,  their  legs  being  badly  scratched 
and  torn,  while  their  bodies  had  not  escaped  the 
wolves'  claws  by  any  means. 

The  clothing  of  those  who  'vere  partially  or  wholly 
dressed  had  fared   badly,   however,  some  of  it  bei.. 
literally  torn  to  tatters  and  most  of  it  past  mending. 

That  the  entire  party  had  escap^;d  with  so  little 
bodily  injury  seemed  almost  a  miracle,  but  each  one  of 
the  boys  felt  that  Providence  had  watched  over  them 
and  enabled  them  to  make  a  successful  struggle.  That 
"  the  Lord  helps  those  who  help  themselves  "  had  been 
clearly  exemplified  in  their  case,  and  silent  prayers  of 
thankfulness  were  sent  up  to  the  Power  over' all,  by 
every  one  of  the  party. 

'*  v\'hat  are  we  going  to  do  with  this  carrion  ?  "  asked 
Foster,  contemptuously;  kicking  one  of  the  wolves  with 
his  feet. 

"  I  know  what  I  am  going  to  do  with  one  of  them," 
answered  Robbins,  "and  that  is  cook  him.  There  is 
not  a  bit  of  meat  left  in  camp,  and  I  think  wolf  -teak 
would  go  better  than  nothing." 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I'll  eat  it,"  said  Drake,  with  a  look 
of  disgust  on  his  face. 

''Do  as  you  please,"  returned  the  cook.  "I  am 
going  to  try  it  myself,  whether  anybody  else  does  or 

liOt." 

"  We  shall  have  to  get  rid  of  these  bodies  when  day- 
light comes,  or  they'll  soon  begin  to  smell  loud," 
said  Alaynard. 


J. 


'W  f 


A  Battle  zvith  Wolves. 


123 


"  Throw  them  into  the  lake,"  suggested  Wood. 

**  Buiv  them,"  advised  St.  Clair. 

"Take  ihem  in  the  boats  down  to  the  foot  of  the 
lake,  and  sluice  them  down  river,"  said  Le  Roy. 

•'  I  think  I  have  a  belter  plan  than  any  proposed," 
remarked  Claude. 

'*  What  is  it  ?  "  cried  several. 

"  I  think  the  best  plan  is  to  burn  them.  We  can 
make  a  big  pile  of  dry  limbs  and  brush,  then  pile  them 
on  it,  and  roast  them.  If  the  fire  does  not  burn  them 
all  up  it  will  leave  them  so  they  will  not  smell  bad.  We 
can  light  the  fire  at  night,  and  it  will  keep  the  mosqui- 
toes away." 

"  We  can  have  some  fun  out  of  it,  anyhow,"  declared 
Drake. 

"  I  am  going  to  turn  in  agaUi,"  said  Maynard.  "  I 
don't  believe  we  shall  see  any  more  live  wolves  to- 
night." 

"  Nor  anv  other  night,"  added  Claude.  "  This  is 
probably  some  stray  pack  that  came  down  from  the 
Canadian  wilderness,  and  I  think  wc  have  been  lucky 
enough  to  exterminate  them." 

*'  I  agree  with  you,  Claude.  I  think  wolves  are  a 
mighty  scarce  animal  in  Maine.  But,  as  I  said  before, 
I  am  going  to  turn  in."  And  Maynard,  after  piling  a 
lot  more  wood  on  the  fire,  went  in  and  lay  down,  and 
his  example  was  followed  by  the  others. 

Daylight  was  breaking  iti  the  east  before  the  boys 
were  asleep  again,  and  the  result  was  a  late  break- 
fast. 

After  the  meal  was  over,  and  the  dishes  cleared  up, 


I 


124 


(//>  the  North  Brauch. 


Robbins  looked  the  wolves  over  and  picked  out  the 
fattest  one  he  could  ^\-\i\,  which  was  not  saying  much 
for  the  wolf,  and  proceeded  to  skin  him  and  cut  him 
up,  being  assisted  by  Maynard,  who  was  disposed  to 
make  fun  of  '.his  addition  to  the  larder. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE   LOSS   OF    THE    BOATS. 


Claude,  Foster,  and  St.  Clair  went  down  the  lake  in 
the  Petrel  to  try  for  some  trout  at  the  outlet,  while  the 
other  members  of  the  party  busied  themselves  in  cut- 
ting fuel  and  arranging  the  funeral  pyre  for  the  wolves, 
which  were  to  be  burnt  that  evening. 

The  day  was  cloudy,  with  a  light  breeze,  and  ihe 
fishermen  hoped  to  take  some  trout  even  though  it  was 
late  in  the  day.  Their  luck,  however,  was  very  bad, 
and  at  noon  they  had  taken  only  five  trout,  the  largest 
in  the  lot  weighing  but  a  pound  and  a  half.  As  they 
had  brought  some  luncheon  with  them  they  concluded 
to  stop  until  evening,  and  see  if  they  could  not  do  bet- 
ter in  the  latter  part  of  the  day. 

Contrarv  to  their  usual  custom,  not  one  of  the 
party  had  brought  a  gun  or  rifle  with  him,  and  while 
they  were  eating  they  saw  two  deer  come  to  the  river 
and  drink  and  then  return  to  the  forest. 

"  If  we  had  only  brought  our  shooting  irons,"  de- 
clared Fc-ter,  "we  might  have  carried  back  some  ven- 


ison. 


"  We  shall  know  better  another  time,''  asserted  St. 

Clair. 

*'I  never  shall  leave  camp   again,"  added   Claude, 


IZO 


126 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"especially  when  we  are  as  short  of  supplies  as  we  are 
now,  without  my  gun  or  rifie." 

"It  is  too  confounded  bad,"  observed  Foster,  "to 
lose  those  deer,  for  I  prefer  venison  to  wolf  meat." 

"Are  you  going  to  eat  that  stuff  ?  "  inquired  St. 
Clair,  laughing. 

"Depends  upon  how  hungry  I  am  when  we  have 
supper," 

About  five  o'clock  the  fish  showed  some  disposition 
to  rise,  and  St.  Clair  said  he  guessed  they  were  get- 
ting hungrv. ' 

Foster  took  one  that  weighed  two  pounds,  and  St. 
Clair  struck  one  that  he  thought  weighed  three,  but  he 
lost  him.  From  that  time  on  till  half  past  six,  when 
the  boys  stopped  fishing,  .l.cy  had  fine  sport,  and  all  of 
them  enjoyed  it  imme.isely. 

Claude,  in  particular,  felt  highly  elated,  for  he  had 
hooked  three  fish  at  one  time,  whose  combined  wei-iit 
was  ten  pounds  and  a  half,  and,  with  the  assistance^of 
his  friends,  had  saved  them  all,  and  he  was  as  proud  of 
this  feat  as  any  angler  would  be. 

Altogether,  the  party  had  taken  sixty-two  pounds  of 
trout;  enough,  as  St.  Clair  jocosely  remarked, "  to  keep 
the  wolf  from  the  door,  or  rather  from  the  table,  for 
several  meals." 

When  the  boys  reached  camp,  supper  was  ready,  and 
It  was  served  at  once.  All  of  the  party  tri«d  the  wolf 
meat,  but  no  one  liked  it,  it  being  drv,  tough,  and 
stringy,  and  Le  Roy  declared  he  had  rather  eat 
skunk. 

When  the  meal  \yas  over,  the  fishermen  showed  their 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


127 


trout  to  the  other  members  of  the  party,  and  Claude 
told  the  story  of  his  lucky  capture. 

"  1  tell  you,  fellows,"  he  saic',  "  when  I  found  I  had 
three  trout  on,  I  became  excited,  and  I  was  afraid  of 
breaking  my  rod  and  losing  the  whole  of  them.  I 
thii.k  I  hooked  the  largest  one  first,  on  the  lower  fly, 
and  he  was  ful'  of  gnme.  I  played  him  a  while,  and 
began  reeling  in,  when  whiz,  flash  1  the  other  two  struck, 
and  then  I  had  my  hands  full." 

"  I  should  say  so,"  remarked  Wood. 

"  They  started  down  river  as  if  they  were  free,  and 
the  way  my  line  ran  out  made  me  feel  sick.  Some 
drlfl  stuff  had  lodged  a  little  way  below  where  we  were, 
and  I  knew  it  they  went  among  that  it  was  all  day  for 
me." 

"  I  didn't  expect  ycu  would  save  one  of  them,"  put 

in  Foster. 

"  So  I  began  to  check  them,  and  then  tried  to  recover 
a  little  of  my  line.  My  stars  !  how  my  rod  bent.  The 
strain  on  it  was  fearful.  But,  to  make  a  long  story 
short,  I  managed  to  get  the  fish  turned  up  stream  again, 
and  after  an  hour's  hard  fight,  with  the  assistance  of 
Bill  and  Andrew,  I  managed  to  save  them," 

"Which  rod  did  you  have,  Claude?"  inquired 
Drake. 

"That  new  Conroy  that  I  bought  this  spring,  when 
I  was  over  to  see  Phil.  You  know,  he  lives  in  Brook- 
lyn. We  came  over  to  New  York  one  morning,  \ia 
Fulton  Ferry,  and  as  we  were  walking  up  Fulton 
Street  I  noticed  some  rods,  in  one  of  the  windows  of 
Conroy's  store,  that  pleased  my  eye.  and  we  stepped  in 


i 


128 


Up  the  NorJi  Branch. 


m^ 


f 


I 


to  look  at  them.  I  took  a  fancy  to  that  one  I  used  to- 
day, and  bought  it.  And  it's  the  best  lod  I  ever 
saw." 

"What  did  you  give  for  it,  Claude  ? "  asked  Wood. 

"Twenty-five  dollars.  And,  after  the  test  it  lias 
stood  to-day,  I  would  not  take  a  hundred  for  it." 

"  Look  here,  fellows,"  remarked  Drake,  "  if  we  are 
going  to  start  that  barbecue,  it's  about  time." 

"That's  so,"  replied  Claude;  "take  some  birch  bark 
and  we  will  light  it  up.'' 

"  Don't  need  any  bark,  it's  all  ready  to  li^-ht  "  said 
Wingate. 

"This  is  not  a  barbecue,  it  is  a  funeral  pyre,"  ob- 
served Foster. 

The  bovs  now  walked  to  the  huge  pile  of  logs  and 
brush,  on  and  among  which  the  wolves  were  laid,  and 
set  if  on  fire  in  four  places. 

As  the  flames  gathered  headway,  the  burning  mass 
sent  out  such  a  heat  that  the  party  were  ^lad  to  with- 
draw to  some  distance,  wl  ere  they  sat  and  watched  it, 
until  the  pile  had  been  bumed  nearly  flat,  when  fresh 
fuel  was  thrown  on,  ard  it  was  then  left  to  take  ca  <  of 
itself,  the  boys  retiring  at  nine  o'clock,  in  hopes  of 
making  up  some  of  the  sleep  they  had  lost  the  night 
before. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  however,  they 
were  awakened  by  midges,  swarming  into  the  camp  hy 
the  million,  and  from  these  terrible  pests  mosquito  net- 
ting was  no  protection. 

The  boys  stood  the  attack  for  a  while,  but  were 
finally  compelled  to  turn  out,  and  build  a  smud<-e  in 


The  Loss  of  *hc  Boats. 


129 


I 


the  camp,  and  around  this  they  hovered  until  daylight, 
when  they  went  outdoors  and  started  a  large  snuulge 
near  their  table,  so  that  they  could  eat  breakfast  in 
some  peace. 

"  I  think  these  midges  are  worse  than  black  flies  and 
mosquitoes  put  together,"  remarked  Wood,  who  was 
getting  his  first  thorough  introduction  to  tliem. 

"  They  are  the  worst  pest  there  is  in  the  woods," 
declared  Wingate,  "  and  if  a  mule  could  only  kick  as 
hard,  according  to  his  size,  as  one  of  these  atoms  can 
bite,  an  army  of  men  couldn't  do  anything  with  one." 

"  Did  you  ever  watch  a  midge  bite,  Charlie  t "  in- 
quired Le  Roy. 

"  No.  I  can  feel  them  quick  enough,  without  watch- 
ing them.  They  make  me  feel  as  if  I  was  on  fire,  and 
I  kill  them  as  fast  as  po<;sible." 

"  Well,  I  have.  And  they  settle  right  down  to  busi- 
ness, when  they  get  at  it.  They  plunge  their  bill  into 
your  flesh,  and  then  they  kick  their  heels  up  into  the 
air,  and  every  time  they  kick  they  make  you  jump,  and 
they  kick  auout  five  hundred  and  forty  times  a  minute." 

A  sally  of  laughter  from  his  friends  interrupted  him 
for  a  moment,  and  then  he  added  :  — 

"  It's  so,  whether  vou  believe  it  or  not." 

At  breakfast  Robbins  announced  that  there  was  only 
coffee  enough  for  one  more  meal,  and  that  the  tea  was 
nearly  gone. 

"I  think,  then,"  said  Claude,  "that  you  had  better 
save  that  coffee  for  next  Sunday  morning,  and  that  we 
had  better  drink  tea  only  once  a  day,  at  supper,  until 
we  reach  some  place  where  we  can  renew  our  stores." 


I 


; 

i 


130 


Up  the  North  Ih'mic/i. 


it 


"And  where  nill  that  bo  ?"  queried  Maynard. 

"  Tlie  first  place  I  know  of  is  the  farm  at  the  head  of 
Long  Lake  on  the  Alla;^..  ish  waters." 

♦'How  far  is  that?"  " 

"  Not  far  from  one  hundred  miles.  We  have  to  run 
down  ihe  St.  John  to  t..^  Seven  Lshinds  first,  a  distance 
of  seventy-five  or  eighty  miles.  Then  walk  across  to 
Long  Lake  over  a  tote  road,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles 
farther." 

"Could  we  have  the  s'lpplies  hauled  back  to  the 
river,  or  should  -"^  have  to  lug  them  ?  "  inquired  Le  Rov. 

"Don't  know,  '  ommy.  We  can  find  out  about  that 
when  we  get  there." 

"J'  we  stay  in  this  vicinity  much  longer,  we  shall 
have  to  put  up  with  some  pretty  primitive  meals,  for  1 
made  a  thorough  examination  of  the  stores  yesterdav, 
and  the  groceries  will  be  all  gone  in  a  week  except  the 
tea.  Although  we  brought  a  large  lot  of  supplies,  we 
have  a  big  crowd  to  feed,  and  there  has  not  been 
enough  f-sh  and  game  brought  in." 

"How  is  the  pork  a:.d  flour.'"  asked  St.  Clair. 
"There  is   not  enough  of  either  to   last  over  Sun- 
day." 

"  Great  Scott !  "  exclaimed  Drake,  "  are  we  m  the 
verge  of  starvation  ?  " 

"  It's  beginning  to  look  that  way,"  replied  ^Laynard, 
dryly, 

"  How  about  salt }  "  inquired  Claude.  "  We  need 
that  more  than  anything  else." 

"  I  should  think  there  was  about  two  pounds  left, 
and  we  must  economize  in  the  usp  jf  it." 


ii 


The  Loss  of  the  Boatr. 


\n 


*'  Here's  a  pretty  state  of  things,"  remarked  Wingate, 
with  a  laugh,  in  which  his  friends  joined. 

*'  It  strikes  me,"  said  Foster,  "that  we  had  better  L  " 
getting  down  river  a  little  nearer  to  the  next  base  of 
supplies." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  adJcd  Lc  Rov. 

"  And,  as  it  may  take  us  a  week  before  we  can  renew 
our  stores,  I  think  we  had  bettfr  start  to-morrow,"  and 
Claude  looked  a.  -i  him,  to  judge  what  his  friends 
t'^ought  of  his  propos.  I. 

They  all  expressed  the  selves  in  favcr  of  it,  nxccpt 
Wingate. 

*'  I  don't  intend  to  leave  here  until  T  see  those  beavers, 
if  I  have  to  follow  you  dov  n  river  on  foot,"  declared 
Charlie,  good-n-^.turedly. 

*'  My  stars !  I  had  forgotten  them  in  the  face  of 
possible  starvation,"  laughed  Claude.  "  But  I'il  \k\\ 
you  what  we  can  do,  Charlie.  Wc  can  all  go  up 
to  the  beaver  dam  to-day,  and  then  leave  here  to- 
morrow." 

"  Yes,  we  can  do  that.  And  I  move  that  we  start  at 
once." 

"Wait  until  Maynard  and  I  clear  up  the  breakfast 
things,  for  I  wish  to  get  a  look  at  those  beavers  as  well 
as  the  rest  of  you,"  and  Robbins  hurried  round  to  fin- 
ish his  v.ork. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  whole  party  started  i..  the 
three  boats,  having  firsc  released  the  doe,  which,  until 
'then,  they  had  kept  tied  up  in  camp. 

Rowing  across  the  lake,  ihty  landtd  nt  the  same 
place    where    iiie    bo\s   h;ul   stopped    on   Sunday,  and, 


132 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


after  pulling  their  boats  out  of  the  water,  started  for  the 
beaver  dam,  led  by  St.  Clair. 

Being  so  short  of  provisions,  they  had  all  made  up 
their  minds  not  to  return  to  camp  empty-handed  if  they 
could  help  it,  and  each  member  of  the  party  carried 
either  a  gun  or  a  riHe. 

As  they  made  their  way  through  the  forest,  they 
walked  silently  and  in  single  file  so  as  not  to  frio-hten 
any  animals  in  the  vicinity,  hoping  to  see  one  or  more 
deer  along  the  small  stream  on  which  the  beavers  were 
located. 

Their  caution  proved  of  no  avail,  however,  as  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  dam  without  having  run  across 
anything  eatable. 

When  they  reached  the  high  bank  from  which  Le 
Roy,  St.  Clair,  and  Drake  had  watched  the  beavers 
before,  the  boys  settled  themselves  in  comfortable  posi- 
tions to  await  the  appearance  of  the  animals. 

Spealcing  only  in  whispers,  they  kept  their  places  for 
an  hour  before  their  perseverance  was  rewarded,  and 
then  the  beavers  suddenly  made  their  appearance  from 
out  the  forest,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ri'-er,  and 
took  to  the  water. 

They  played  about  in  the  pond  for  nearly  an  hour, 
swimming  from  one  place  to  another,  and  apparently 
enjoying  themselves  as  much  as  a  party  of  boys  would. 

The  young  fellows  watched  their  gambols  with  great 
interest;  and  when  at  last  the  beavers  disappeared 
beneath  the  water  to  visit  their  lodge,  the  party  came 
from  tlieir  place  of  concealment,  and,  wading  across 
the  stream,  walked  up  to  the  place  where  the  beavers 


.-     ^^ 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


133 


had    worked,    and    all    obtained    some    of    their    cut- 
tings. 

Securing  what  they  wished,  they  were  about  retrac- 
ing their  steps  to  the  dam,  when  Foster  espied  a  buck 
wading  across  the  stream  at  the  upper  end  of  the  pond. 
The  animal  was  too  far  away  for  a  sure  shot. 

After  a  few  words  among  themselves,  Wingate  and 
St.  Clair  were  chosen  to  represent  the  party  in  shooting 
the  deer. 

As  the  place  where  the  boys  were  standing  was  com- 
paratively open,  Charlie  and  Andrew  took  to  the  woods, 
while  the  rest  of  the  party  dropped  down  in  the  long 
grass  out  of  sight. 

Wingate  had  a  rifle  with  him,  and  St.  Clair  a  double- 
barrel  gun,  and  it  was  agreed  between  them  that,  if  they 
got  within  shooting  distance  of  the  deer,  they  would 
both  fire  together,  as  they  did  not  care  how  much  the 
skin  was  riddled,  it  being  the  meat  they  were  after. 

Keeping  along  the  edge  of  the  woods,  avoiding  step- 
ping on  every  dead  limb  or  other  stick  that  would  make 
any  noise,  they  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  buck  again, 
which  had  stopped  after  crossing  the  stream,  as  if  un- 
determined which  way  to  go. 

The  young  hunters  now  dropped  to  the  ground,  and 
be^ran  crawling  toward  their  victim,  and  succeeded  in 
getting  within  ten  rods,  when  the  buck  turned  his  head 
toward  them,  and  looked  suspiciously  in  their  direction. 

"  Fire,  Charlie  !'  whispered  his  friend;  "the  sinner 
has  scented  us." 

Accordingly,  Wingate  pulled  trigger,  and  the  next 
moment  the  deer  dropped  like  a  stone.     Then  the  boys 


i 


li  i' 

Mi, 


apr 


t« 


ss?. 


134 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


jumped  up  and  ran  toward  him,  rt'acliin<j  him  just  as 
he  be<,Mn  to  struggle  to  gain  liis  feet,  and  St.  Chiir,  see- 
ing he  was  not  dead,  put  a  charge  of  buckshot  into 
him,  that  destroyed  every  sign  of  life  instantly. 

On  examining  the  animal's  body,  it  was  found  that 
Wingate's  bullet  had  ploughed  a  furrow  across  the  head 
of  the  deer,  only  stunning  him  for  a  moment,  and  not 
disabling  him  in  the  least. 

The  two  friends  hung  the  buck  up  to  the  limb  of  a 
tree  near  them,  and  then  cut  his  throat  to  bleed  him, 
and,  at  this- moment,  the  rest  of  the  party  appeared. 

"  First  desr  of  the  season.  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  Fos- 
ter, as  he  caught  sight  of  the  buck  hanging  to  a  tree. 

"Ves,  and  I  am  sorry  we  have  had  to  shoot  game 
out  of  season,"  remarked  Claude.  "But  we  can't 
starve,  and  necessity  knows  no  law." 

"  The  law  never  was  intended  to  cover  such  a  case  as 
this,"  remarked  Robbins. 

"I  don't  suppose  it  was,"  returned  Claude  ;  "yet,  if 
we  could  have  done  without  it,  I  should  rather  not  have 
had  the  animal  shot.  But  it  certainly  seen.s  excusable 
in  our  case." 

"  I  don't  intend  to  starve  up  in  this  country  while  I 
have  any  amm«mition  left,  and  can  find  anything  eata- 
ble to  shoot,"  said  Wingate ;  "  I  did  not  come  up  here 
for  thr.t  purpose." 

**Oh,  there's  no  danger  of  our  starving,"  declared 
Maynard,  laughing,  "  for  when  the  grub  is  all  gone,  we 
can  live  on  spruce  gum  and  bark,  or  some  other  prod- 
uct of  the  woods." 

After  the  buck  was  thoroughly  bled,  the  boys  pro- 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


135 


ceeded  to  skin  and  cut  him  up.  Then,  talung  one  of 
the  hindquarters,  Robbins  cut  some  slices  from  it,  one 
for  each  of  the  fellows,  while  Maynard  started  a  fire. 
Each  boy  then  roasted  his  slice  of  venison  on  a 
stick  ;  holding  it  over  the  fire,  and  turning  it  from  time 
to  time,  to  prevent  its  burning. 

The  only  thing  they  had  been  able  to  bring  for  their 
lunch  was  some  pilot  bread,  or  hardtack,  as  it  is 
more  commonlv  called  in  the  woods.  The  meat  was  a 
welcome  addition  to  this,  although  they  were  forced  to 
eat  it  without  salt,  not  having  thought  to  bring  any  of 
that  very  useful  article  with  them. 

When  they  had  disposed  of  their  somewhat  primitive 
meal,  and  washed  it  down  with  a  draught  from  the 
clear,  sparkling  stream  in  front  of  them,  they  divided 
the  pieces  of  meat  among  the  party,  and  started  for 
camp,  stopping  a  short  time  near  the  beaver  lodge  to 
enable  those  who  had  not  seen  it  fairly,  to  ge'.  a  good 
look  at  it.  None  of  the  beavers  were  in  sight,  nor  d-d 
any  of  them  appear,  although  the  party  lingered  nearly 
half  an  hour  in  the  vicinity  of  the  dam. 

They  did  not  cross  the  stream  at  the  dam  this  time, 
but  continued  down  the  river,  on  the  north  side,  until 
about  opposite  the  place  where  they  had  struck  it  in 
the  morning,  and  then  forded  it  there. 

"  I'll  bet  there  are  trout  in  this  stream,"  remarked 
Foster,  as  they  waded  across.     "  Just  look  at  that  pool 

below." 

"  But  we  have  nothing  to  catch  them  wiih,  if  there 

aro,"  added  Drake,  who  was  close  to  him. 

After  leaving  the  s.ream  behind  them,  they  travelled 


[//>  the  Xorth  Branch. 


Mill! 


as     silently    as    possible,    in    hope    of    seeing 


more 


game. 


Half  way  to  the  lake  they  found  some  large  spruces, 
-hat  had  quite  a  lot  of  gum  on  them,  and  the  boys  dug 
off  all  they  could  reach  handily,  about  two  pounds,  and 
soon  they  were  all  chewing  in  unison,  trying  "  JMay- 
nard's  food,"  as  Wood  expressed  it. 

The  day  was  hot  and  sultry,  and  they  went  along 
very  leisurely ;  but,  although  they  kept  a  sharp  look- 
out, their  eyes  were  not  gladdened  by  the  sight  of 
game. 

They  reached  the  point  a  few  minutes  before  three, 
and  walked  straight  to  the  spot  where  they  had  left 
their  boats,  but  it  was  vacant.  Not  a  boat  was  to  be 
seen,  either  along  the  shore,  or  on  the  lake,  and  the 
different  members  of  the  party  looked  at  each  other 
with  surprise  cUid  consternation,  and  a  feeling  of  alarm 
took  possession  of  them  all. 

*'  I  should  like  to  know  whe  our  boats  have  gone  ! " 
cried  Le  Roy,  a  little  savagely,  after  there  had  been  an 
awful  stillness  for  a  few  seconds,  for  the  terrible  dis- 
covery they  had  made  had  deprived  them  all,  moment- 
arily, of  the  power  of  speech. 

"And  so  should  I,"  echoed  Claude.  "  Great  Scott ! 
fellows,  this  is  a  serious  matter." 

"They  couldn't  go  without  hands,"  remarked  Drake, 
looking  as  if  he  had  made  an  assertion  that  nobody 
could  deny. 

"  Several  men  have  been  here  since  we  left,"  declared 
Wingate,  who  had  been  examining  the  sand  in  the 
vicinity  carefully. 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


OT 


1  ^T 


The  whole  party  looked  sharply  at  the  tracks  Wingate 
had  pointed  out,  and  finally  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  boats  had  been  stolen  by  two  or  three  men, 
they  were  not  exactly  sure  of  the  number ;  but  why  they 
should  have  taken  all  the  boats,  when  one  wouki  have 
answered  their  purpose,  was  more  than  they  could 
determine. 

Luckily  the  boats  had  contained  nothing  beside  the 
oars  and  paddles,  and  the  party  was  thus  spared  addi- 
tional loss. 

"Well,  fellows,"  observed  Claude,  after  the  party 
had  talked  the  matter  over  for  some  time,  ''the  boats 
are  gone.  Of  that  fact  we  are  unfortunately  certain, 
and  the  sooner  w*  get  to  camp  the  better,  and  see  what 
else  we  have  lost.  And  we  must  travel  as  fast  as  we 
can  if  we  would  reach  it  before  dark,  for  I  think  n-e 
must  have  seven  or  eight  miles  to  walk  at  least.  It  is 
a  long  distance  around  the  shore  of  this  lake  to  our 
camp." 

"You  are  right,  Claude,"  remarked  Maynard,  "so 
let  us  be  cff  at  once.  One  thing  in  our  favor :  we  have 
daylight  enough  to  get  there  in  if  we  improve  it,  and  we 
can't  lose  our  way,  for  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  follow 
the  lake  shore." 

As  the  boys  made  their  way  slowly  along  through 
the  woods,  the  loss  of  their  boats  was  the  chief  topic 
of  conversation,  and  they  declared  dire  vengeance  on 
the  scoundrels  who  had  stolen  them,  if  they  could  only 
run  across  the  thieves.  But  their  chance  for  finding 
the  rascals  they  felt  to  be  small  indeed. 

"  I  suppose  we'll  find  everything  gone  from  the  camp 


'I! 


138 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


U 


when  we  «^cl  there,"  puffed  St.  Clair,  as  the  party  made 
the  best  time  they  were  capable  of  toward  the  head  of 
the  lake. 

"  I  hope  not,"  remarked  Claude  ;  "  the  loss  of  our 
boats  is  enough,  without  anything  else  going." 

"  I  don't  see  what  we  shall  do  without  them ;  how 
are  we  going  to  get  out  of  this  wilderness  without 
boats  }  "  queried  Wood. 

"Walk,"  replied  Drake,  laughing. 
"We  will  talk  the  matter  over  to-night,  fellows,"  said 
Claude,  "  and  determine  what  we   shall  do.     We  will 
find  our  way  out  of  this  scrape  without  walking." 
"  Sure  pop  !  "  added  Robbins. 

Conversation  was  now  dispensed  with,  as  the  boys 
walked  so  fast  they  could  not  spare  the  breath  for  it, 
and  they  were  determined  to  reach  camp  before  dark. 
The  most  of  the  way,  the  woods  were  quite  open,  and 
they  made  much  better  progress  than  they  would  have 
done  in  a  scrub  growth.  From  time  to  time,  as  they 
caught  glimpses  of  the  lake,  they  scanned  it  eagerly,  in 
ho]ie  of  observ-ng  a  boat ;  but  nothing  was  to  be  seen. 
They  reached  Baker  Brook  at  half  past  six,  and  at 
seven  o'clock  were  in  camp. 

"Here  is  the  doe  we  turned  loose  this  morning," 
said  Wingate,  who  was  the  first  fellow  in. 

"  That's  funny,"  added  Wood  ;  "  I  thought  we  had 
seen  the  last  of  her  this  morninjr." 

The  party  now  began  a  thorough  search  of  the  camp 
and  store-house,  but  could  not  see  that  a  single  article 
had  been  disturbed,  and  they  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  men  who  had  gone  off  with  the  boats  had  not 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


139 


been  near  the  camp.  This  was  some  comfort,  and,  by 
the  time  the  search  had  been  fnished,  Robbins  was  able 
to  announce  that  supper  was  ready. 

All  were  quickly  at  the  table,  for  the  long  tramp 
through  the  woods  had  given  the  whole  party  healthy 
appetites,  and  it  was  some  time  before  Robbins  ar.d 
Maynard  could  get  a  mouthful  themselves,  they  wtre 
kept  so  busy  with  waiting  on  the  others. 

When  the  supper  was  entirely  over,  all  the  fellows 
gathered  around  a  large  smudge  in  front  of  the  cabin, 
and  discussed  the  situation  for  two  hours.  The  worst 
thing  about  it  appeared  to  be  that  they  did  not  know 
which  way  the  boats  had  been  taken,  whether  up  river 
or  down,  although  the  majority  of  the  party  thought 
they  had  gone  down  river.  They  were  shortly  to  get 
some  information  on  that  point. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  we  can  do,  fellows.  Go  down 
river  on  a  raft,"  proposed  St.  Clair.  "Any  kind  of 
navigation  is  better  than  walking  through  the  woods, 
especially  where  there  are  no  tote  roads.  And  the  first 
one  the  maps  show  is  the  one  Claude  spoke  of  last 
night,  running  from  the  Seven  Islands  to  Long  Lake. 
So  we  shall  have  to  reach  the  Seven  Islands  in  some 
manner." 

"  Can  we  build  a  raft  that  will  carry  us  all  ? "  in- 
quired Wood,  doubtfully. 

"Can  we  ?  Can  a  rope  walk  ?  Or  a  horse  laugh  ?  Or 
a  cat  fish  ?  Of  course  we  can,"  put  in  Wingate.  with  a 
laugh. 

"But  we  have  no  proper  tools,"  added  Wood. 

"Tools?     Haven't   we    axes,    and   an    inch   auger? 


i 


t 


\ 


140 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


I'd    lilce    to    know    what    more    we    want,"   queried 
Maynard. 

"That  last  tool  you  spoke  of  augurs  well  for  the 
success  of  the  raft,"  remarked  Claude,  dryly. 

"  Oh,  shut  up  !  " 

"  Put  him  out !  " 

"  Go  to  bed  !  " 

Cried  several  voices  at  once,  and  Foster  gave  Claude 
a  slap  on  the  back  that  made  him  wince. 

"  But,  seriously,  fellows,  there  is  no  trouble  in  build- 
ing  a  raft,  .if 'we  can  find  logs  enough  of  the  right  size 
near  the  river,"  declared  Claude. 

"It  will  take  a  raft  of  them,  though,"  said 
Drake.  "  ' 

"Another  donkey  brays,"  remarked  Le  Roy. 
"  You  have  a  brazen  face  to  make  such  a  remark  " 
retorted  Drake.  ' 

"Come,  give  us  a  rest,"  said  Robbins,  "and  save 
some  of  your  cheap  jokes  until  the  next  time." 

"  There  is  plenty  of  cedar  just  below  the  outlet  of 
the  lake,  on  our  side,  and  we  can  fell  some  of  the 
trees  right  into  the  stream." 

"I  noticed  them  myself,  Charlie,"  replied  Claude, 
"when  we  were  there  fishing  yesterday,  and  I  think  we 
can  procure  all  we  need  in  that  locality.  I  can  speak 
only  for  myself,  but  I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do 
IS  to  move  to  the  foot  of  the  lake  the  f  rst  thing  after 
breakfast  to-morrow,  and  commence  the  construction 
of  the  raft." 

"  How  shall  we  get  there  ?  "  inquired  Wood. 

"  You  can  swim  down  the  lake  if  you  prefer  it,"  re- 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


141 


plied  ihe  leader  of  the  party,  with  a  laugh,  "but  I  shall 
walk  throui^h  the  woods." 

As  Claude  ceased  speaking,  voices  were  heard  be- 
hind them,  and  each  member  of  the  party  was  on  his 
feet  in  an  instant,  listening,  with  his  face  turned 
towanl   the   sounds. 

"  What's  up  now  ?  "  queried  St.  Clair. 

"We  shall  see  In  a  moment,"  replied  Claude. 

"  Yes,  and  we  had  better  not  be  caught  napping," 
declared  Wingate,  and,  slipping  into  the  camp,  he  came 
out  with  his  Winchester  rifle,  which  was  capable  of 
doing  some  mischief  as  it  was  a  full  magazine,  and 
was  loaded. 

A  few  minutes  later  six  men  filed  out  of  the  shadows 
of  the  forest,  and  came  straight  up  to  where  the  boys 
stood. 

There  was  fire  enough  from  the  smudge  to  throw  a 
small  circle  of  light  around  them,  and  the  boys  and 
their  visitors  looked  at  each  other  a  moment  before 
speaking. 

One  of  the  men  broke  the  silence. 

•*Good  evening,  boys,"  he  said;  "have  you  run 
across  two  men  around  here  to-day  ? " 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Claude.  "Your  party  are  the 
first  persons  we  have  seen  since  we  came  here,  but  we 
know  that  sonv^  one  has  been  in  the  vicinity  to-day." 

"How  so?" 

"  Because  we  have  had  three  boats  stolen  to-day." 

"  From  here  ? '' 

"  No;  from  the  other  side  of  the  lake."  And  Claude 
told  his  stor}'. 


» r  .^ 


If; 


1;^ 


142 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


n\  \ 


11^  1 

■::!    I 


"  That  is  bnd  for  us  if  tho.;e  fellows  Ijave  got  boats," 
remarked  the  man  wlio  had  first  spoken,  and  who  was 
the  leader  of  the  party.     "  We  didn't  count  on  that." 
"That's  sure,  we  didn't,"  rephed  one  of  his  men 
"  Who   are    those   men,    and   what  are   they   doing 
here?"  inquired  Claude. 

"They  murdered  a  man  down  to  Mooschead  Lake 
the  other  day  in  a  drunken  row,  and  we  are  after  them. 
I  am  a  sheriff,  two  of  these  men  are  my  deputies,  and 
the  others  are  men  we  hired  to  guide  us  through  the 
woods  and  help  us  carry  the  men  back." 

"Did  you  say  there  were  only  two  of  them?"  in- 
quired  Wingatc. 

"Yes,  only  two.  They  are  French  Canadians,  and 
are  putting  for  Canada." 

"Then,  what  in  the  name  of  common-sense  did  thty 
take  all  three  of  our  boats  for?  " 

"  I  can  tell  you,  Charlie,"  spoke  up  Claude,  "  It  was 
so  nobody  could  follow  them." 

"  Vou  are  right,  young  man,"  added  the  sheriff,  "and 
I  should  not  be  surprised  if  they  sink  two  of  th'.m 
down  the  river  somewhere." 

''  If  they  do,  and  I  ever  see  them,  I'll  pay  them  for 
it,"  declared  Maynard,  angrily. 

"  Have  they  any  grub  with  them  ?  "  asked  Drake. 
"I  think   not,"  replied    the   sheriff,  "and  they  will 
probably  go  to  the   Depot   Farm   for  some,  for  ib.eir 
stomachs  must  be  pretty  empty  by  this  time." 

The  sheriff's  party  now  unstrapped  their  packs,  nr.d 
the  oHicer  ani.ounccd  his  intention  of  camping  where 
they  were,  ar.d  told  one  of  ilu'  men  to  get  sup^j^er,  fur 


The  Loss  of  the  Boats. 


143 


they  had  been  so  eager  in  the  use  that  ihey  had  not 
eaten  a  mouthful  since  morning. 

Claude  invited  them  to  sleep  in  the  camp,  but  Mr. 
Grabem  thanked  him,  and  told  him  it  was  so  warm  they 
had  just  as  lief  sleep  outdoors. 

♦'  Which  way  were  vou  heading  ?  "  asked  the  sheriff 

of  Claude. 

"We  were  going  down  the  St.  John  River,  and  we 
are  going  now.     We  shall  build  a  raft  to-morrow." 

"You  may  recover  your  boats  later  on,  if  the  villains 
have  not  destroyed  thc-in.  That  is,  if  we  catch  thcMu. 
We  shall  start  at  daylight  for  the  head  of  Long  Lake, 
and  will  get  there  Thursday  night  if  nothing  happens  ; 
they  won't  hurry,  now  they  have  the  boats,  but  I  an^ 
quite  sure  they  will  go  to  the  farm  for  some  supplies, 
and  I  think  we  shall  get  there  as  soon  as  they  do." 
And  the  sheriff  looked  as  if  he  meant  to  do  it. 

"If  they  once  get  into  Canada,  you  cannot  take 
them  ? "  remarked  Le  Roy,  with  an  inquiring  look. 

"  Not  without  the  proper  papers,"  said  one  of  the 

deputies. 

"Come,  fellows,  let's  turn  in;  it's  eleven  o'clock." 
And  Foster  arose  with  a  yawn,  and  went  indoors,  and 
he  was  shortly  followed  by  the  others,  who  left  the  fires 
and  the  smudge  to  the  care  of  the  new-comers. 


i.s( 


1 


CHAPTER  X. 


BUILDING   THE    RAFT. 


At  daylight  Wednesday  morning  the  sheriff  and  his 
party  were  up  and  getting  their  breakfast.  Just  before 
they  were  rtady  to  start,  the  boys  turned  out,  wishing 
to  see  them  off. 

"Did  you  ever  see  those  two  men  you  r  '-  t  arsuit 
of  ?  "  inquired  Claude. 

"  No,"  replied  Mr.  Grabem,  "  but  we  have  a  good  de- 
scription of  them." 

"What  kind  of  looking  fellows  are  they.?"  asked 
Maynard. 

"  One  of  them  is  tall,  dark-complectcd,  has  lost  one 
front  tooth,  and  weighs  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
pounds.  The  other  is  about  five  feet  two,  stockily 
built,  light-complected,  has  red  hair,  and  a  mole  on  his 
right  cheek."        .         * 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  cried  Wingate,  excitedly,  who  had 
come  up  just  in  time  to  hear  the  sheriff's  description. 

Grabem  reper^ed  what  he  had  told  Claude. 

"Great  Ccesar's  ghost,  Claude!  That  is  a  mighty 
good  description  of  Bill  and  Jim." 

"  Those  men's  names  are  Bill  and  Jim  Dubois." 

"What!"  f.irly  shrieked  Wingate.  "I'll  bet  a 
thousand  dollars  the    are  the  same  scoundrels  !  " 

114 


%\ 


nuildin^  til  •  Raft. 


\\^ 


"Bii..  those  vilHins  were  sent  to  'riioinn«ton  for  ten 
years,  aiul  i.  is  not  two  yet  since  they  began  serving 
their  term,"  re-  larked  Claude. 

"  But  they  nuiy  have  escaped,"  said  Wingate. 

"  1  heard  a  man  say  at  the  Northeast  Carry  that 
thty  were  State-prison  birds,"  spoke  up  one  of  the  dep- 
uties. 

"  By  Jove !  If  we  meet  them,  I'll  save  you  the 
trouble  of  arresting  one  of  them,"  declared  VVingate, 
"  for  I'll  shoot  him  at  sight." 

"  Ain't  you  talking  a  little  loud  ? "  queried  the 
sheriff,  who  could  not  understand  the  excitement  oi  the 
?  oys. 

"You'd  talk  loud  if  you  had  been  through  whpi 
Cla-  e  and  I  have  with  those  thieves,  scoundrels,  and 
murderers,"  replied  Wingate.  "Let  me  ttll  you." 
And  he  proceeded  to  give  the  sheriff  and  his  party  an 
account  of  their  adventure  with  Bill  and  Jim,  as  re- 
counted in  "  Down  the  West  Branch." 

"  Well,  you  have  good  reason  to  be  pc-'son  on  them, 
that's  a  fact,"  acknowledged  Mr.  Grabem  when  Win- 
gate  had  concluded  his  story. 

"  But  these  may  not  be  the  sarre  men,"  sup-bested 
Claude. 

"  That  is  possible  ;  but  I  have  a  presentiment  that 
they  are,  and  it  will  be  a  sour  day  f-.^r  that  red-headed 
Satan  when  I  run  across  h.in.  I  told  h.in  I  should  live 
to  see  him  hanged." 

"  Better  not  shoot  him.,  then,"  laughed  the  sheriff, 
"but  let  the  law  take  its  course.  But  we  must  be  off, 
or  we  may  miss  our  men.     Keep  a  sharp  lookout  o^  the 


146 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


it 


rivtr,  for  there  is  about  one  r.hancc  in  a  thousand  that 
you  may  see  tiiem." 

'"  Vou  can  bet  we  will,"  declared  Claude,  with  em- 
pha=  "And  if  you  see  anything  of  our  boais,  just 

take    .are   of  thern    and   we    will    make    it    right   with 

you. 

"  I  will  ;  and,  now,  good  morning  !  " 

"  Good  morning,"  replied  Claude.  "  Andgcod  luck  1 " 
rhouted  all  the  boys. 

"  So  you  really  think,  Charlie,  that  the  murderers  and 
the  coiners  are  the  same  scoundrels,"  said  St.  Clair. 

"  Haven't  a  doubt  of  it  in  my  own  mind.  I  have 
always  felt  as  if  we  should  meet  those  villains  n.j:ain." 

"if  this  crowd  meets  them,"  remarked  Maynard, 
"if  we  don't  kill  them,  we'll  leave  th-^m  in  such  shape 
that  they'll  wish  we  had." 

"  That's  so,"  cried  several  of  the  party. 

All  of  the  members  of  the  Lake  and  Forest  Club  had 
herrd  of  Claude  and  Charlie's  adventure  with  the 
coiners  while  on  their  trip  down  l!.e  West  IJranch, 
and  were  justly  indignant  at  the  cruel  treatment  tluir 
friends  had  received,  and  would  gladly  welcome  the 
chance  of  reti  rning  the  villains  somo  of  their  own  kind 

of  coin. 

"  Well,  Maynard,  let's  get  breakfast,"  said  Robbins, 
coming  back  to  the  first  business  of  the  day. 

"What  shall  we  get?" 

"  P>y  some  of  the  trout.  I  guess  we  shall  need  the 
whole  of  them,  and  a  piece  of  venison.  \ou  start  the 
lire,  and  I'll  get  the  fish  and  meat  ready." 

"If  we  can  only  meet  those  scoundrels,"  asserted 


^\ 


I 


Building  the  Raft. 


147 


my 


Wingate,    "I'll    pay    that    skunk    for   spitting   in 
face," 

"  Can't  get  over  that,  can  you,  Charlie  ? "  remarked 

St.  Clair. 

"No,  nor  I  don't  want  to,  until  after  I've  pounded 
about  all  the  life  there  is  in  his  miserable  body  out  of 

it." 

After  breakfast  had  been  eaten,  the  boys  shouldered 
their  fire-arms,  and  took  their  rods  and  other  personal 
effects,  and  started  for  the  foot  of  the  lake.  It  was 
nine  o'clock  when  they  reached  it,  and  St.  (Mair  and 
Maynard  were  detailed  to  stay  there  and  wa.ch  it, 
while  the  rest  of  the  party  returned  for  the  stores  and 
cooking  utensils. 

*'You  had  better  improve  the  time  while  we  are 
away,"  suggested  Robbins,  "  in  catching  some  trout,  if 
you  can.' 

"We'll  see  what  we  can  do,"  returned  St.  Clair,  as 
the  boys  started  back  to  the  camp. 

"We  shall  have  to  call  this  a  tramping-out  scrape, 
instead  of  a  camping-ou<-  trip,"  laughed  Le  Roy,  as  the 
party  tramped  back  to  the  foot  of  the  lake. 

"We  are  camping  and  tramping  both,"  added  D;ake, 

"  1  don't  think  much  of  these  carries  where  there  is 
no  path ;  do  you,  Claude  ?  "  queried  Drake. 

"  Can't  say  that  I  do,  Bob.  I  prefer  a  turnpike  to 
walk  on." 

"The  fellow  that  macadamized  this  road  forgot  to 
leve'i  it,"  added  Wingate. 

By  the  time  the  camp  was  reached,  the  boys  were 
somewhat  tired,  and  sat  down  to  rest  a  few  moments, 


ri- 


148 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


m 


before  packing  up  their  loads.  While  busily  engaged, 
the  doe  came  in,  and  walked  up  to  Claude,  and  sniffed 
at  his  hands. 

*'  She  wants  some  salt,"  suggested  Wood. 

"  I  '"an't  give  her  any  more.  Salt  is  too  precious 
now.  We  must  be  saving  of  what  we  have,"  returned 
Claude. 

When  the  boys  left  the  camp,  they  were  surprised  to 
see  that  the  doe  followed  a  little  way  behind  them, 
stopping  when  they  stopped,  and  walking  when  they 
walked. 

The  second  load  for  each  of  the  boys  was  much 
heavier  than  the  first  had  been,  and  they  had  to  rest 
about  every  fifteen  minutes,  and  it  was  nearly  t  vo 
o'clock  when  they  reached  the  outlet. 

St.  Clair  and  Maynard  had  busied  themselves  all  the 
forenoon  in  cutting  timber  for  the  raft,  and  had  half  a 
dozen  good  cedar  sticks  all  ready  when  they  left  off  to 
get  dinner,  about  half  past  one. 

As  the  last  of  the  trout  that  had  been  carried  to  the 
head  of  the  lake  had  been  eaten  that  morning,  St. 
Clair  tried  his  luck  fishing,  while  Maynard  was  build- 
ing the  fire,  and  making  such  slight  preparation  as  he 
could  until  the  stores  and  cooking  utensils  made  their 
appearance. 

'•  Dinner  all  ready,  Frank  ? "  cried  Claude,  as  the 
''  packers."  as  Le  Roy  called  them,  came  up  and  de- 
posited their  loads. 

"  I^ow  under  the  sun  did  you  expect  me  tc  get  din- 
ner witliout  stores  or  cooking  utensils  ?  " 

"  Oh,  by  some  trick  of  legerdemain." 


Building  the  Raft. 


149 


*'  Has  that  fellow  been  round  here  ? "  inquired  Wood. 
"What  fellow?"  and  Claude  stared  at  his  friend, 
having  no  idea  of  what  he  meant. 
"Legerdemain." 
The  boys  laughed. 
"  Get  out,"  exclaimed  Claude. 
"  I  am  out." 
"  Well,  get  in,  then." 
"  In  where  ? " 
"  In  the  lake." 
"The  water's  too  wet." 
-I  say,  Andrew,"  called  Le  Roy  to  St.  Cair,  "are 

you  catching  any  fish  ?  " 
"Yes." 

"  Waiat  kind  ?  " 
"  Raw." 

The  ])arty  laughed  at  Le  Roy's  discomfiture. 
Robbins  and  Claude  helped  Maynard  get  the   din- 
ner, and,  when  it  was  ready,  Maynard  put  his  finger  in 
his  mouth  and  blew  a  shrill  whistle,  which  brought  St. 
Clair  without  loss  of  time. 

"I  never  was  so  hungry  in  my  life,"  said  the  fish- 
erman, as  he  came  up  to  his  friends,  wiping  the  per- 
spiration from  his  forehead,  for  it  was  a  very  hot  day. 
"  You're  always  hungry,"  declared  Drake. 
"  I'll  bet  we  have   a  shower  before  night.     It's  an 
awful  sultry  day,"  remarked  Foster. 

"The  clouds  begin  to  look  like  it  off  there  in   the 
west,"  replied  Wiugate. 

"  Where's  Fanny  ?  "  inquired  Maynard,  ^l.    name  the 

boys  had  given  the  doe. 


I^i 


150 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


I 


"Give  it  up!"  replied  Robbins.  "She  was  with  us 
until  we  were  most  here.  Met  some  fellow  she  was 
acquainted  with  perhaps,  and  stopped  to  buzz  liim." 

"  What  a  set  of  chumps  you  fellows  are,"  remarked 
Wood,  from  the  table.  **  If  you  don't  sit  down  soon, 
you'll  be  minus  your  dinner." 

*'  How  long  did  you  cut  your  sticks  for  the  raft, 
Andrew  ? "  inquired  Claude,  while  they  were  eating. 

"  As  near  twenty-five  teet  as  I  could  guess." 

"  How  near  was  that  "*.  "  asked  Foster,  with  a  roguish 
look. 

"  Measure  them  and  see." 

"  Did  you  get  out  many  ?  "  queried  Claude. 

"  Six." 

"  We  need  a  dozen,  at  least.  But,  by  the  way  the 
sky  looks,  I  think  we  had  better  construct  some  kind 
of  a  shelter,  before  going  to  work  on  the  raft." 

"  My  sentiments  exactly,"  remarked  Maynard,  "  and 
there  had  better  be  a  pile  of  wood  cut,  for  we  shall 
hardly  get  away  from  here  before  Friday  morning." 

"  I  wouldn't  start  Frida}',"  said  Drake. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  Claude,  laughing.  "  Colum- 
bus sailed  on  Friday,  and  discovered  America  on 
PViday." 

When  the  boys  had  finished  their  meal,  they  went 
to  work  with  a  will,  in  spite  of  black  flies  and  mos- 
quitoes, which  hovered  about  them  in  clouds,  and  in 
two  hours  had  a  very  fair  shelter  built  for  the  night, 
large   enough    to   accommodate    them    all,   with   close 


stowing. 


Then   they  moved   into   their   shanty  the   very  fe 


w 


Binlding  the  Raft. 


151 


articles  they  now  had  left  that  would  be  likely  to  be  in- 
jured by  the  rain,  and,  just  as  they  had  completed  he 
work,  a  heavy  rumble  of  thunder  broke  upon  the  still- 
ness of  the  air,  and  a  few  drops  of  ram  fell 

The  shower  came  down  upon  them  with  wonderful 
swiftness,  however,  for,  in  five  minutes  from  the  tune 
they  had  noticed  the  first  flash  of  lightning,  the  ram 
wa;  pouring  in  torrents,  the  wind  was  blowing  a  young 
Hurricane,  and  the  flash  and  crash  of  the  electricity  in 
the  air  gave  them  an  uncomfortable  feeling  that  was 
nearly  akin  to  fear.     At  least,  it  was  not   a  pleasant 

'^FronrTheir   shelter,  where   they  were    huddled   to- 
gether, they  noticed  Fanny  come  out  of   the  woods 
and  w^lk    toward  the    table.     Before    she    reached    it, 
however,   there  came  the    sharpest   flash    of   lightning 
they  had  seen,  and    then   a  terrific  cash  of  thunder 
long   drawn  out,  and    when    they   looked   at   the   doe 
n-ra'in  it  was  lying  on  the  ground  dead, 
^t  had  been   struck   by  the   lightning,  and   the   air 
around  their  rmelled  sulphurous.  ^^ 

''  I  tell  you,  fellows,  that  came  too  close  for  comfort, 
remarked    Maynard,  "and   it   has  killed  poor  Fanny 
If  she  had  lived,  I  believe  she  would  have  followed 
us  all  the  way  down  river." 

"Well,  we  shall  have  to  eat  her  now,    said  Wood, 

rather  soberly.  ,   . 

"  I  o-uess  not,"  replied  Claude,  somewhat  amused,  in 
■       spite  of  the  senous  side  of  the  question;   "an  animal 
killed  by  lightning  is  not  fit  to  eat." 
"  You  don't  mean  it  ?  " 


m 


ii 


152 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


Ii  \ 


"Yes,  I  do.  It  is  a  fact,  so  that  eatin-  any  j^art  of 
the  doe  is  out  of  the  question." 

The  storm,  as  if  being  satisfied  with  the  sacrifice  of 
the  doe,  now  bega.i  to  grow  lighter,  the  flashes  of  li-ht- 
nnig  coming  less  frequent,  and  th.'  detonations  of  "the 
thunder  not  being  nearly  so  heavy,  and  in  half  an  hour 
after  Fanny's  death  the  sun  came  out  clear  again. 

When  the  rain  was  over,  the  bovs  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  getting  firewood  enough  to  last  them  until 
Friday  morning,  and  this  occupied  them  until  supper 
time.  ^^ 

During  the  evening. the  plans  for  constructing  the 
raft  were  pretty  thoroughly  discussed,  and  it  was  de- 
cided to  build   it  about  the  size  of  one  of  the  head- 
works  they  had  seen  the  lumbermen  use,  which  are  in 
the  vicinity  of  twelve  by  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet   and 
a  raft  of  that  size  was  capable  of  carrying  a  dozen  men 
Every  one  in  the  party  was  very  tired  that  night   for 
they   had   passed    through    a   hard    dav,   and    at   nine 
o'clock  every  fellow  was  asleep.     Nothing  occurred  to 
disturb  their  slumbers  during  the  night,  and  they  ill 
turned  out  Thursday  morning,  feeling  quite  refreshed, 
and  ready  to  push,,  the  construction  of   the  craft  on 
which  they  depended  to  carry  them  down  river. 

Breakfast  was  over  at  six  o'clock,   and  the  entire 
party,  with  the  exception  of  the  cook  and  his  assistant 
began  work  on  the  raft.  ' 

As  the  trees  were  felled  and  trimmed,  and  cut  to  the 
proper  length,  all  buf  those  who  were  wielding  the 
axes  would  carry  thei.  to  the  water,  and  sometimes 
the  choppers  had  to  give  the  others  a  lift. 


Building  the  Raft. 


153 


By  noon  they  had  all  the  logs  for  the  raft  cut,  and  in 
the  water,  and  then  took  an  hour's  rest,  during  which 
time  they  ate  a  hearty  dinner. 

In  the  afternoon  a  number  of  poles  of  the  same 
length  as  the  logs  were  cut  to  lay  between  every  two 
logs,  where  they  came  together,  thus  making  the  sur- 
face of  the  raft  more  even. 

Six  small  trees,  about  f^ve  inches  through,  were  then 
cut  of  sufficient  length  to  cover  the  entire  width  of  the 
r-ift  and  these  were  fastened  securely  to  the  logs  in 
the 'following  manner,  making  the  whole  structure  firm 

and  strong. 

Two  auger  holes  were  bored  in  every  log  on  each 
side  of  the  cross-sticks.  Into  these  holes,  short  pieces 
of  green  withes  were  inserted,  passing  over  the  cross- 
sticks  in  the  shape  of  an  ox-bow,  and  wedges  were  then 
mide  and  driven  into  each  hole  to  prevent  the  ends  of 
ihe  withes  from  pulling  out. 

The  work  was  rushed  lively,  the  only  interruption 
being  when  some  fellow  had  to  stop  occasionally  to 
sme^r  a  fresh  supply  of  war  paint  on  his  face  and  hands, 
to  keep  the  flies,  midges,  and  mosquitoes  at  a  respect- 
ful distance. 

One  of  the  end  cross-ties  was  laid  in  position  as  soon 
as  ready,  and,  while  one  ,  the  fellows  was  turning  the 
auger,  the  others  were  making  wedges  and  cutting  the 
withes  to  the  right  length. 

The  boring  of  the  holes  was  back-aching  business, 
and  tired  the  boys  even  more  than  carrying  the  logs  to 
the  river,  and,  in  order  to  have  the  work  go  on  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  as  soon  as  one  fellow  bored  a  hole,  he 


154 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


m 


would  change  work  with  some  other  luember  of  tlie 
party ;  and,  as  Robbins  and  Maynard  joined  llieni  in 
the  work  after  the  first  three  holes  were  made,  it  gave 
each  quite  a  rest,  as  a  fellow  had  then  to  bore  only 
every  ninth  hole ;  yet  as  there  were  one  hundred  and 
twenty  holes  to  make,  this  was  about  as  often  as  any 
member  of  the  party  cared  to  take  a  turn  at  the 
auger. 

By  unanimous  assent,  Claude  was  appointed  master- 
workman,  and  he  not  only  kept  on  the  jump  himself 
the  whole  afternoon,  but  managed  to  keep  everybody 
else  busy,  and  at  six  o'clock,  when  Robbins  and  May- 
nard left'off  to  get  supper,  the  raft  was  so  nearly  done 
that  the  remainder  of  the  crew  finished  it  by  the  time 
that  Maynard  sent  forth  his  call  to  bring  them  to  the 
evening  meal. 

They  had  made  a  fairly  good  ]  ^b  of  it,  and  every  one 
in  the  party  was  pleased  with  '  'he  building  of  the 
ship,"  as  Wingate  put  it,  and  Fost  -  laughingly  chris- 
tened it  the  Slow  Poke,  on  account  c  the  slow  sailing 
they  expected  from  it. 

After  supper  everything  that  was  not  needed  at  break- 
fast the  next  morning  was  packed  up,  for  the  boys 
wished  to  get  an  early  start,  and  at  ten  o'clock  they 
retired,  glad  of  the  chance  to  stretch  themselves  out 
for  a  little  rest. 

Robbins  had  declared  he  would  have  everybody  up 
early  Friday  morning,  and  he  was  as  good  as  his  word. 
For,  as  the  first  faint  streaks  of  daylight  shot  across  the 
sky  in  the  east,  he  arose,  and,  after  dressing,  pulk  d  the 
blankets  off  of  his  sleeping  friends,  and  shouted :  — 


!'K 


B  nil  ding  the  Raft. 


155 


"  Turn  out !  turn  out !  the  good  ship  Sloiu  Poke  sails 
at  seven  o'clock,  and  don't  wait  for  any  man." 

'^Or  woman  either,"  shouted  Foster. 

"I'll  turn  you  out,"  gro'.dcd  Drake,  not  relishing 
being  awakened  at  such  an  early  hour,  and,  reaching  for 
Robbins,  he  caught  him  by  the  foot,  tripping  him  up, 
and  bringing  him  down  across  Maynard  and  Wingate. 
And  a  scuffle  ensued  which  awoke  every  member  of  the 
party,   and,  with  jokes  and  laughter,  they   arose  and 

dressed. 

Robbins  had  plenty  of  assistance  in  getting  break- 
fast, and  at  six  o'clock  they  sat  down  to  eat  it. 

No  time  was  wasted  at  the  table,  and,  by  the  united 
efforts  of  the  whole  party,  they  succeeded  in  making  a 
start  at  half  past  seven  o'clock,  which  Claude  said  was 
doing  very  well,  as  that  was  only  half  an  hour  behind 
the  time  they  had  set. 


mm 


\ 


m 

ii 


M 

*  'li^B 

4 

CHAFl  ER  XI. 


A    NOVEL   TUGBOAT. 


They  had  provided  themselves-  with  long  poles  to 
propel  and  guide  the  raft  in  rapids,  and  to  keep  her 
awav  from  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  had  broujrht 
along  half  a  dozen  cedar  splits,  which  (Jlaude  intended 
to  fashion  into  rude  paddles  as  they  floated  down  the 
stream. 

"  Good-bye,  Baker  L;i.<e !  "  shouted  Wood,  as  their 
craft  gathered  headway,  assisted  by  a  current  that  ran 
about  two  knots  an  hour. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning,  with  the  sun  shining 
brightly,  and  the  air  was  as  clear  as  a  bell,  the  sultri- 
ness of  the  two  previous  days  being  all  gone,  and,  as 
Claude  said,  their  voyage  bega;i  quite  auspiciously. 

"  I  would  like  to  know  how  Baker  Lake  obtained  its 
name,"  remarked  Drake,  thoughtfully,  as  that  lovely 
sheet  of  water  faded  away  from  their  sight  like  some 
dissolving  view. 

"  I  am  the  only  living  person  that  can  tell  you,"  re- 
plied Wingate,  with  mock  seriousness. 

"  What's  eating  you  now  ?  "  queried  Robbins. 

"  Black  flies  !  confound  them  !  "  cried  Wingate,  and 
then  proceeded  :  *'  Many  moons  ago,  when  the  red 
man  was  cut  up  into  so  many  pieces  that  he  covered 
the  whole  of  New  England,  like  a  rag  mat  over  a  hole 

150 


A  Novel  Tugboat. 


157 


in  a  much  worn  carpet,  two  tribes,  the  Kill-'em-SloAS, 
and  Scalp-'em-Quicks,  met  by  the  side  of  the  silvery 
waters  of  the  hike  for  a  five  o'clock  tea." 

"Were  you  there?"  queried  Foster,  with  a  wink  at 

LMaude. 

"How  do  vou  expect  that  I  could  relate  this  vera- 
cious piece  of  history  if  I  had  not  been  an  eye-witness 
to  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you  ?  Now,  keep  quiet,  and 
don't  interrupt  me  again,  and  remember  wiiat  your 
mother  taught  you,  that  little  boys  should  be  seen  and 

not  heard." 

"Time  you  shut  your  mouth,   then,  Charlie,     saia 

Wingate  shot  a  digniHed  frown  at  his  friend,  and 

then  went  on  :  — 

"  Everything  went  as  merry  as  a  scalp  dance  until 
the  bucks  of  the  two  tribes  began  loading  up  with  fire- 
water, and  after  a  while  this  led  to  a  diversity  of  opin- 
ion, and  from  joking  and  laughter  the  two  tribes  drifted 
into  angry  words  and  opprobrious  epithets.  loma- 
hawks  and  scalping-knives  were  quickly  brought  forth, 
and  shortly  after  there  was  as  pretty  a  fight  going  on 
as  ever  was  seen  at  an  Irish  wake. 

"The  squaws,  not  to  be  outdone  by  the  sterner  sex, 
started  a  little  scrimmage  of  their  own,  while  I  sneaked 
out  of  the  way,  and  climbed  a  spruce  tree,  where  1 
could  see  all  that  was  going  on. 

"The  fight  lasted  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  the 
ground  was  strewn  with  corpses,  piled  high  on  each 
other;  the  fair  and  the  foul  sex  intermingled  without 
regard  to  age  or  beauty. 


158 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  Only  one  bare,  solitary  red  man  of  the  forest  re- 
mained to  tell  the  tale.  He  was  the  head  baker  of  the 
Scalp-'ein-t^i'icks,  and  when  he  saw  the  fallen  numbers 
of  boMi  friend  and  foe,  that,  according  to  Indian  cus- 
tom, he  must  scalp,  it  made  him  tired,  and,  jumping  into 
a  canoe,  he  paddled  into  the  middle  of  the  lake,  and, 
after  chanting  his  death  song,  of  which  I  have  an  exact 
copy  at  home,  he  took  a  header  into  the  lake,  and  that 
was  the  last  I  ever  saw  of  him. 

"  A  party  of  trappers  found  me  the  next  day  acci- 
dentally, and  took  me  home  with  them,  and  I  told  them 
the  name  of  the  sheet  of  water  where  they  found  me 
was  Baker  Lake,  I  having  named  it  for  che  baker  of 
the  tribe,  whom  I  loved  better  than  raw  pork." 

"  What  a  yarn  !  "  shouted  Wood. 

"  Manufactured  from  potash  !  "  yelled  Foster. 

Just  then  the  raft,  which  was  now  floating  in  shallow 
water,  brought  up  solid  on  a  rock,  and  Wingate  had  no 
time  to  speak  as  it  required  the  entire  strength  of  the 
party  to  get  the  Slo7o  Poke  off  the  rock,  and  this  >vas 
only  effected  by  all  hands  going  into  the  water,  and  lift- 
ing until,  as  Le  Roy  expressed  it,  "they  saw  start   ' 

Once  more  afloat,  and,  as  they  drifted  along,  it  was 
decided  not  to  stop  at  all  for  dinner,  but  to  keep  on 
floating  until  frvC  o'clock,  and  then  tie  up  for  the  night. 

Drake  proposed  that  they  should  float  all  night,  but 
the  sentiment  of  the  party  was  against  it,  as  they  did 
not  know  "-hat  dangers  might  befall  them  after  dark, 
and  they  thought  travelling  by  daylight,  while  it  took 
longer,  was  much  the  safer  way. 

They  had  the  usual  chang^^       .1  are  met  with  on 


A  Novel  Tugboat. 


159 


fresh-water    rivers;    rapids,    fall:,    shallow   water,    at.d 
reaches  of  dead  water,  where  th.re  scarcely  seemed  to 

be  any  current. 

They  grounded  on  rocks  several  times,  and  were 
hung  up^by  snags  twice,  and  in  sev.:ral  pieces  of 
rapids  they  had  a  hard  job  to  manage  the  raft ;  but,  by 
working  quickly  and  carefu.Iy  in  bad  places,  ihey  sur- 
mounted all  the  difficulties  they  met  with  during  the 
day,  and  tied  up  a  little  after  fivr.  at  the  mouth  ot 
Brailey  Brook,  just  below  where   1.    en'  .s   the  South 

Branch, 

That  night,  Clau'le  was  lucky  enov.^h  to  shoot  a  deer, 
having  sat  up  until  micinight  watching  for  that  purpose. 
It  was  a  buck,  in  fino  coudilion,  and  a  most  welcome 
addition  to  t!.3  hrde-.  , 

Saturday  morning,  Wingate  and  Foster  tried  their 
luck  at  fishing  at  the  mouth  of  the  brook,  and  took 
about  tarty  small  trout,  which  enabled  the  cooks  lo 
serve  up  a  very  bounteous  breakfast. 

The  Slow  Poke  was  got  u.v.ier  way  at  seven  o'clo-k, 
and  their  second  dry's  voyage  commencr  l  It  po.n- 
ised  to  be  very  hot  by  noon,  as  the  air  had  the  same 
old  sultry  feeling  in  it.  They  four  d  more  water  on  the 
river  Saturday,  having  passed  two  quite  large  fecuers  of 
the  stream  the  day  before -Turner  JJrook  and  Brailey 
F  '^rk,  alreadv  spoken  of. 

As  «^ome  of 'the  partv  were  dissatisfied  with  going  with- 
out th<  ir  dinner  the  day  before,  they  tied  up  to  the  east- 
ern river  bank  between  twelve  an^'  one  ;  and  the  entire 
P  irty  assisted  in  getting  the  noonday  meal. 

While  they  were  eating  it,  a  moose  crossed  the  n  -er 


160 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


\i\ 


M 


froHi  their  side,  in  plain  sight  of  them,  but  they  did  not 
try  to  follow  him,  as  they  were  too  anxious  to  re  cli  the 
Long  Lake  Farm  and  see  if  thev  could  hear  anvthin<^ 
of  their  boats,  which  they  still  hoped  to  recover. 

At  1:30  they  made  a  fresh  start,  and  about  half  an 
hour  afterward,  while  paddling  along  a  piece  of  dead 
water,  they  saw  an  object  floating  ahead  of  them,  which 
they  took  for  the  butt  of  some  large  tree,  an  old-growth 
pine,  Claude  thought. 

A  nearer  approach,  however,  convinced  them  that  the 
object  was  an  enormous  turtle  asleep  on  the  water. 

"Great  Scott!  what  a  turtle!"  exclaimed  Foster; 
"he's  as  large  as  a  barn  door." 

"Not  quite,"  laughed  Claude:  "but  he's  an  old 
sockdolager!  that's  a  fact." 

"  Is  he  good  to  eat  ?  "  queried  Drake,  anxiously,  vis- 
ions of  green-t'.'-tle  soup  floating  through  his  mind, 

"No,  you  jackass.  It's  a  mud-turtle,"  whispt.ed 
Maynard,  softly,  laughing  quietly  at  his  friend's 
question. 

"  By  the  Great  Horn  Spoon,  I  say  let's  capture  him, 
and  make  him  tow  us  down  river,"  whispered  Wingate, 
excitedly  ;  "  he'll  be  as  good  as  a  tugboat." 

"  What  an  idea  ! "  ejaculated  Lc  Roy,  in  an  under- 
lone. 

"  No  harm  in  trying  it,"  insisted  \A'ingate,  taking  a 
piece  of  three-eighths  rigging,  and  making  a  slip-n(,ose 
in  one  end  of  it. 

The  boys  now  kept  silent  and  let  the  raft  drift  ilown 
on  the  turtle,  whose  hind  flippers  were  sprawled  out 
nearly  straight  on  the  water,  while  Charlie  stood  on  the 


■- 1  f 


I 

i 


/4  A^^-az'^:/  Tugboat. 


161 


forward  end  of  the  raft,  slip-noose  in  hand,  ready  to 
throw  it  over  one  of  the  turtle's  propellers,  as  soon  as 
they  should  be  near  enough. 

Claude,  seeing  sport  in  the  capture  of  the  turtle,  even 
if  Charlie's  somewhat  quixotic  idea  conld  not  be  carried 
out,  caught  up  another  piece  of  line,  and  made  a  noose 
in  one  end,  and  took  his  place  near  Wingate,  to  assist 
in  the  capture. 

"  My  stars  !  "  excLumed  St.  Clair,  "  he's  the  leviathan 
of  turtles.     He  is  five  feet  long,  if  he's  an  inch." 

The  Slow  Poke  slowly  drifted  down  to  the  turtle, 
propelled  only  by  a  friendly  breeze,  for  everybody  had 
stopped  paddling,  for  fear  of  waking  the  sleeping  giant ; 
and  when  within  two  feet  of  him  Charlie  and  Claude 
reached  forward  and  slipped  their  nooses  over  both  of 
the  turtle's  hind  flippers,  and  then  gave  the  lines  a 
pull  that  tightened  the  knots,  and  awoke  Mr.  Turtle  to 
the  fact  that  "eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty." 
The  amphibious  monster,  when  he  found  himself  in 
the  toils,  started  for  the  bottom  of  the  river,  and  would 
have  assured 'y  taken  Charlie  and  Claude  with  him,  if 
the  other  fellows  had  not  sprung  quickly  to  their  help. 

*'  Great  snakes  !  "  exclaimed  Rob'  ms,  "he's  as  strong 
as  an  elephant  !  " 

"  Make  the  ends  of  the  two  lines  fast  to  the  forward 
cross-tie,"  shouted  Claude;  "we  can't  hold  the  monster 
this  way.       He'll  tire  us  out  and  get  away." 

This  suggestion  was  quickly  acted  on,  and,  after  the 
lines  had  been  secured,  and  the  bov;  had  taken  a  rest, 
they  took  anot'.icr  pull  on  them  and  brought  the  turtle 
to  the  su-Tace  again. 


rf'^n 


Ai' 


J 


102 


[//}  the  North  Branch. 


He  now  started  for  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  but, 
when  the  boys  rapped  him  smartly  with  one  of  the  poles 
on  that  side,  he  headed  into  the  middle  of  the  stream. 

He  swam  about  -^  hundred  yards,  towing  the  rr.ft 
twice  as  fast  as  it  had  gone  since  leaving  the  lake,  an.l 
then  turned  abruptly  toward  the  west  bank;  but  the 
poles  were  again  brought  into  requisition,  and  after  a  tew 
good  thumps  had  been  delivered  on  his  port  side  he 
Uirned  toward  the  middle  of  the  stream;  but  he  had 
no  sooner  reached  it  than  he  undertook  to  go  to  the 

bottom  again. 

The  crew  of  the  Slow  Poke  were  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency, however,  for,  seizing  hold  of  the  lines,  they 
hauled  with  such  good  will  that  they  soon  had  Nep.jne, 
as  Foster  christened  him,  at  the  top  of  the  w-ter  once 

more. 

A  few  punches  in  the  rear  started  Neptune  down 
river  again,  and  for  about  fifteen  minutes  he  behaved 

admirablv. 

'Talk'about  towboats!"  exclaimed  W  .,/  te ;  "what 
do  you  want  belter  than  this  ?  V'hat  do  you  say  to  the 
idea  now,  you  chump?"  poking  Le  Roy  in  the  ribs. 
"  Isn"t  it  better  than  paddliig  ?  " 

"Enou^^h  sight,  if  your  engine  only  holds  out,  and 
your  boiler  don't  blow  up.  I  always  said  you  had  quite 
a  head,  Charlie." 

'But,  unfortunately,  nothing  in  it,"  spoke  up  St. 
Clair,  with  a  laugh. 

\eptune  had  not  wholly  learned  his  business,  how- 
ever; lor,  alter  lurnii.^'  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river,  he 
struck    3r  the  er.stern  shore  once  more. 


i 


A  Novel  Tugboat. 


1G3 


Again  he  was  Ihumped  and  pounded  until  he  took 
the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  shortly  after  the  raft 
reached  a  shallow  place  in  the  river,  where  the  water 
flowed  over  a  bed  of  sand  and  gravel,  and  Neptune 
took  bottom  there  and  began  to  crawl.  The  water, 
being  very  clear  in  this  part  of  the  stream,  enabled  the 
boys  to  see  every  motion  of  the  huge  turtle,  as  he 
slowly  poked  along,  leaving  a  trail  behind  him  on  the 
sand. 

'•Confound  him,  he  walks  too  slow,"  remarked  Win- 
gate,  and,  taking  his  pole,  he  prodded  the  turtle  until 
he  brought  him  to  the  surface,  and  Neptune  took  to 
Gwimming  again  ;  and  again  the  boys,  by  the  aid  of 
their  poles,  managed  to  keep  him  in  the  middle  of  tlie 
river  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 

At  half  past  four  they  reached  the  forks  of  the  river, 
where  the  south  and  southwest  branches  unite,  the 
latter  being  much  the  larger  of  the  two.  Passing  the 
junction  of  the  two  waters,  they  landed  just  below  the 
Southwest  Branch,  on  the  north  side  of  the  main 
river. 

The  raft  was  made  secure,  and,  while  Robbins  and 
Maynarrt  began  preparations  for  supper,  the  rest  of  the 
party  turned  their  attention  to  the  turtle,  which  had 
crawled  as  far  out  on  the  bank  of  the  river  as  the  length 
of  the  towlines  would  permit. 

Wood  walked  up  as  near  him  as  he  dared,  and,  look- 
ing carefully  at  his  back,  saw  some  queer-looking  marks 
on  his  3hell,  and  he  called  Claude  to  come  and  help 
him  decipher  them. 

Time  had  almost  obliterated  tb        but  after  a  while. 


if  •■ 
\ 

I 

ir 


i 


% 


164 


Uf  :he  North  Branch. 


to  his  surprise  and  astonishment,  Claude  made  out  the 
letters,  and  they  deciphered  the  words,  and  the  inscrip- 
tion read,  "Baron  de  St.  Castine,  Oct.  15,  1644." 

"  Great  Jerusalein  !  "  exclaimed  the  bewildered  leader 
of  the  party,  rubbing  his  eyes  to  be  sure  that  he  was 
right;  and  then,  turning  to  his  friends,  some  of  whom 
had  followed  him,  he  said  :  — 

'•  How  old  do  you  think  that  turtle  is  ? " 
"  Older  than  any  fellow  in  this  crowd,  I'll  bet  a  cent," 
declared  Wingate. 

"Well,  if  I  have  made  out   this  inscription  on  his 
shell  correctly,  he  is  about  236  years  old ! " 
"  What  are  you  giving  us  ?  "  queried  Wood. 
"Is  that  all?"  laughed  St.  Clair.     "Couldn't  you 
add  a  year  or  two  more  ?  " 

"I'm  not  joking,  Andrew.  You  just  examine  his 
shell.  You  see,  the  letters  and  figures  are  badly  worn, 
but  I  make  them  read,  '  Baron  de  St.  Castine,  Oct.  15, 
1644,'  and  tiiat  would  make  the  turtle  about  the  age  I 

mentioned." 

"  Come  here,  fellows,"  sang  out  Wood  ;  "  this  tunic 

of  ours  is  a  curiosity." 

The  rest  of  the  party  gathered  around  Neptune,  and, 
after  carefully  studying  the  hieroglyphics  on  his  shell, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  Claude  had  made  them  out 

correctlv. 

"  If  Barnum  had  that  turtle,"  remarked  Foster,  with 
a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "  he  would  swear  that  he  was  one 
of    the  original   turtles    that  went    into    the    ark    with 

Noah." 

"  If  he  did,"  declared  Robbins,  "  he  would  get  a  good 


^\ 


I 


i!i> 


I 


A  Novel  Tugboat. 


lG/5 


deal    nearer  the   truth   than   he  'Iocs   in   some  of   the 
statements  he  makes  about  his  show." 

"Take  off  your  hats,  fellows,"  said  Maynard,  setting 
the  example,  with  :.  touch  of  the  serio-comic  in  his 
speech  and  gesture  ;  "  age  should  be  venerated,"  and 
he  bowed  quite  low  to  the  turtle,  who  didn't  seem  to 
care  how  much  game  the  boys  made  of  him. 

"  And  to  think  how  we  rapped  and  punched  the  old 
fellow  to-dav,"  said  Drake. 

"  Yes,  and  we'll  rap  and  punch  him  again  to-morrow,  if 
he  doesn't  keep  in  the  middle  of  the  river  and  swim  proi> 
erly.  If  he's  as  old  as  Claude  says  he  is,  he's  old  enough 
to  learn  how  to  tow  the  Sloiv  Poke  properly,  and,  by  Jove, 
he's  got  to  do  it !"  declared  Wingate,  as  he  picked  up 
a  stic'k  near  him,  a  limb  abont  seven  feet  long,  and  laid 
it  carefullv  on  the  turtle's  shell,  and  then,  by  the  aid  of 
his  rule,  made  out  that  the  shell  of  the  turtle  measured 
just  six  feet  in  length,  and  four  feet  and  one  inch  m 

width. 

"  Who  was  Baron  de  St.  Castine,  any  way  ?  "  queried 

Wood. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  know,"  replied  Drake. 

"He  was  a  French  nobleman,"  remarked  Claude, 
"  who  came  to  Canada  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and, 
leaving  his  companions,  joined  the  Penobscot  Indians, 
and  married  into  the  tribe." 

"  1  don't  admire  his  taste,"  said  Le  Roy. 

'•  Periiaps  you  would  if  you  had  seen  the  girl," 
laughed  Foster. 

The  turtle  was  now  L-ft  to  his  own  companionship, 
and,  while  Robbins  and  Maynard  were  getting  supper, 


SlRii 


'2' 


I 


I 


Kin 


up  the  North  Branch. 


,  I ' 


the  other  members  of  tlie  party  brought  in  some  fuel 
and  arranged  a  rather  primitive  shelter  for  the  night. 

Sunday  morning  the  cook  did  not  wake  very  early, 
and,  as  no  one  felt  inclined  to  call  him,  it  was  nine 
o'clock  before  the  party  sat  down  to  breakfast,  and  ten 
before  they  were  ready  to  resume  their  voyage. 

When  the  boys  had  loaded  the  Slow  Poke,  for  every- 
thing had  been  taken  off  the  raft  the  night  before,  the 
turtle,  apparently  against  his  will,  was  persuaded  to 
take  again  to  the  water,  and  he  was  guided  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  towing  the  raft  at  a  good  speed. 
The  current  also  was  considerably  stronger  than  the 
day  before,  and  altogether  they  made  very  good  head' 
way. 

During  the  day  they  passed  several  bad  places,  and 
once  they  were  hung  up  for  nearly  two  hours.  At  five 
o'clock  they  reached  Comstock  Drook,  and,  passing  its 
mouth,  they  ran  into  the  river  bank  a  few  rods  below, 
and  camped  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  John. 

"  Look  here,  fellows,"  said  Le  Roy,  after  the  raft  had 
been  tied  up,  *'  what  does  that  turtle  live  on  ?  We 
have  not  fed  him  since  we  captured  him,  and  I  should 
think  he  would  be  hungry  by  this  time." 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  know  what  to  give  him,"  replied 
W'ingate.  "  Perhaps  he  will  eat  fish  and  meat.  We 
can  try  him  and  see." 

"  Let  him  live  on  frith  and  air,"  suggested  Drake. 

"  Feed  him  on  wind  pudding,"  advised  Wood. 

"  If  you  think  that  kind  of  diet  is  healthy,  try  it  your- 
self," said  Maynard. 

"Oh,  you  need  not  worry  about  Neptune,"  remarked 


l# 


li^t^ 


^   ' 


A  Novel  Tugboat. 


ItiT 


Cl-imlc.  "I  have  read  th.t  turtles  are  capable  of  livinS 
a  lo„,  ti,.,e  without  food,  so  we  ,K.cd  not  feed  h,.n 
:,,i,e;.e  Ueep  Itim,  and  .l.e„  we  get  tired  of  u.,^  l.nn 
(or  a  t,.wl,oat  we  xviU  set  hint  adrttt,  an.l  he  11  take 
care  of  himse'f.  Ill  warrant." 

"He  has  lived  long  enonsh  in   this  ^v<,rld  to  know 
how   I  shoidd  think,"  put  in  St.  Clair. 

When  the  bovs  awoke  Monday  .norntng,  they  made 
two  discoveries.'    First,  that  the  air  was  full  of  s„K.ke 
and,  second,  that  Neptune   had   n.anaged  sotitehow   to 
elease  hitnself,  and  leave  thetu.     The  --"     d,s      - 
erv  was  not  of  much  account,  as  the   s,7,e  of  the   r.ver 
^n'd  strenijth  of  the  current  had  very  much  tncreased  in 
I  d  stanle  they  had  Boated  since  capturtng  the  turt  e 
and  he  would  have  been  more  of  a  nu.sanee  than  a  help 
"them    in  the  future,  and  no  one  shed  tears  at  h,s 

'"ThTsmoke.  however,  was  a  very  serious  matter  and 

,       ,  o^  ;f  It  l-Tited  Ion"-       It  was  almob,t 

promised  to  be  more  so  if  it  lasttcl  ion   . 

ns  bad  as  fog,  and  they  could  scarcely  discern  the  oppo- 
site side  of  5.e  river,  while  the  smell  of  it  was  anything 

hut  a^^reeable.  ,        ,  , 

Ma°  nard  and  Le  Roy  were  tne  cooks  tor  the  week 
and  Ihev  prepared  breakfast  as  rap.dly  as  poss.ble,  n. 
::der  thaf  the  party  might  leave  their  present  locauon 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  ,n     he  '-P-   '     '     ^ 
they  drifted   down  river   they  would  nn.  out  of   the 

'""Where  do  vou  su,.pose  this  smoke  comes  trom^ 
Claude  ? "  inquired  Wood,  who  had  never  witnessed 
anything  of  the  kind  before. 


ill 


108 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"I  can't  tell  you,  Dave.  Probably  the  forest  is  o^ 
fire  to  the  east  or  north  of  us,  but  I  am  in  hopes  that 
a  few  miles  floating  will  take  us  beyond  it." 

"  I  hope  the  fire  will  not  reach  us,"  said  Drake.  "  If 
it  does,  we  shall  be  burnt  like  rats  in  a  hole." 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  I  guess,"  asserted  Wingate. 
**  If  it  gets  too  hot  for  us,  we  shall  have  to  take  care  of 
ourselves  somehow." 


\ 


I 


m 


' 


i 


5 


( 


CHAPTER   XII. 


THE    BURNING    FOREST. 


The  S/o7e'  Poke  started  on  her  fourth  day's  run  at 
seven  o'clock,  in  such  a  dense  smoke  that  the  sun  was 
invisible.  As  they  went  down  river,  borne  by  a  now 
rapid  current,  they  would  have  enjoyed  the  situation 
immensely,  only  from  the  fact,  undoubted  by  all,  that 
the  farther  they  went  the  thicker  the  smoke  became, 
and  by  eight  o'clock  they  could  not  see  either  bank, 
when  the  raft  was  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 

As  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  lose  their  way,  how- 
ever, they  floated  onward,  suffering  much  annoyance 
from  the  smoke,  that  now  began  to  make  their  eyes 
smart,  and  very  much  vexed  that  they  could  see  noth- 
ing of  the  country  through  which  they  were  passing. 

"  Confound  the  smoke  !  "  growled  P'oster ;  "  I  wish  it 
was  in  Jericho." 

"Well,  it's  done  us  one  good  turn,"  remarked  St. 
Clair,  "  for  I  have  not  seen  a  mosquito,  a  black  fly,  or 
a  midge  to-day." 

"  I  hope  it  will  kill  every  one  there  is  in  Maine," 
added  Wood,  savagely,  who  had  suffered  more  from 
the  bites  and  stings  of  insects  than  any  other  fellow  in 
the  party. 

"  Amen  !  "  shouted  Drake. 

1G9 


170 


rp  the  North  Brnnch. 


About  noon  ihe  wind  began  lo  blow,  and  s.-.n  in- 
creased to  a  gale.  In  hope  of  clearing  the  snioke 
before  night,  the  entire  party  voted  lo  skip  the  dinner, 
and  make  the  best  headway  possible  down  river. 

"  1  would  be  willing  to  go  without  dinner  and  supper 
both,"  declared  Le  Roy,  "  if  we  can  only  get  beycMul 
this  smoke  before  we  turn  in  to-niglU,  for  I  am  afraid 
we  shall  smother  if  we  don't." 

"  I  am  afraid  there  will  be  no  sleeping  for  any  of  i:s 
to-night,"  replied  Claude,  with  a  very  sober  face.  "  1 
think  we  are  getting  into  a  mighty  bad  scrape.  Don't 
you  notice  fine  cinders  are  beginning  to  come  with  tlic 
smoke,  which  shows  that  the  fire  is  getting  neai':r  lo 

us  ? " 

"That's  so,  as  true  as  I'm  alive,"  remarked  Robbins- 
The  friends  stared  each  other  in  the  face,  but  nothing 
was  said,  and  for  some  time  they  floated  on  in  silence, 
each  busy  with  thoughts  of  the  difficult  and  dangerous 
situation  that  they  felt  sure  was  fast  approaching  them, 
and  trying  to  think  of  some  feasible  way  of  escaping 

it. 

By  three  o'clock,  the  cinders  came  so  large  and  fast 
that  they  frequently  set  the  clothing  of  some  member 
of  the  party  on  fire,  and  Claude  declared  it  was  not 
safe  to  travel  any  longer,  for,  beside  the  cinders,  the 
roaring  of  the  fire  could  now  be  distinctly  heard, 
although  it  was  yet  a  long  distance  away. 

"Steer  in  toward  the  right  bank,  fellows,  and  let  us 
see  what  it  looks  like.  We  can't  stand  this  a  great 
while  longer.     The  air  is  fairly  getting  hot." 

When  they  reached  the  shore,  they  found  the  bank 


i  ' 


The  Piirtiiiis^  Forest. 


171 


m 


\ 


was  about  six  feet  high,  and  the  ground  in  tiic  viviniiy 
meadow  land. 

"This  is  a  most  fortunate  thing  for  us.  This  giass 
will  burn  easily,  and  we  must  start  a  back  fire,  as  they 
do  in  the  West,  when  travellers  are  caught  on  a  burning 
prairie.  We  can't  see,  to  be  sure,  how  far  back  this 
intervale  land  runs  from  the  river,  but  it  must  be  fifteen 
or  twenty  rods  at  least,  and  that  will  save  us;"  and, 
pulling  out  a  match,  Claude  touched  the  dried  grass, 
and  in  a  minute  it  was  in  flames. 

As  soon  as  it  had  burned  back  from  the  river  thirty 
or  forty  feet,  Claude  said  :  — 

"  Now,  fellows,  find  anything  you  can  that  is  suitable 
to  dig  with,  for  we  must  get  a  hole  of  some  kind  large 
enough   for   us  all   to  get   into,   and  take  our  things 

beside." 

''  How  about  the  raft  ? "  queried  Wood,  anxiously. 
*'  Won't  it  be  destroyed  ?  " 

*'  1  guess  not.  The  logs  are  green,  and,  as  there  is 
no  timber  here  to  fall  on  it,  I  think  it  will  be  safe.  The 
cinders  may  hurt  it  a  little,  but  I  don't  believe  it  will 
take  fire  and  burn  up." 

"  I  know  how  we  can  save  it,"  exclaimed  Wingate. 

"  Let  us  hear,"  replied  Foster. 

"  We  can  cover  it  with  three  or  four  inches  of  dirt." 

"  A  good  idea,  Charlie,"  returned  Claude,  "  and  now 
let's  to  work,  and  remember  you  are  workin  '  for  your 

lives." 

Eveiy  member  of  the   party  realized   the   fact  that 
Claurle  had  stated,  and  they  took  hold  with  a  will. 

They  divided  into  two  parties,    three    covering    the 


"m^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


IM 


r=    u,  y^ 


^  1^ 

us 

Si 


2.5 
2.2 


1.8 


1.25      1.4 

1.6 

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6"     — 

► 

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^ 


^, 


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/A 


pViotnoimihir 

A.      A.  XV^  l.V>  >^A.  \-A-|^^A.  AA%^ 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WKST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  145*0 

(716)  •73-4S03 


^^ 


\\ 


I 


172 


C[/>  the  North  Branch. 


raft  with  dirt,  and  ilie  other  six  digging  the  hole  on 
shore.  The  soil  was  light,  and  they  removed  it  ensily. 
After  digging  down  about  six  feet,  they  began  to 
tunnel  toward  the  river,  leaving  a  shell  of  earth  about 
three  feet  in  thickness  over  their  heads,  and  Claude 
said,  if  it  should  break  through  on  them  i.  was  not 
heavy  enough  to  hurt  them  much. 

In  half  an  hour,  Wingate,  Maynard,  and  Le  Roy  had 
covered  the  raft,  obtaining  their  dirt  by  digging  into 
the  bank  of  the  river,  about  on  a  level  with  the  tunnel 
the  other  boys  were  at  work  on  ;  then  they  went  to  the 
place  where  the  others  were  at  work,  but  found  there 
was  no  room  for  them. 

"  You  had  better  continue  digging  from  your  end  " 
advised  Claude,  "  and  we  shall  meet  after  a  while." 

His  suggestion  was  acted  on,  and  at  six  o'clock  the 
two  parties  came  together,  and  the  job  was  finished 
shortly  after.  Their  guns,  fishing-rods,  and  ammuni- 
tion had  been  placed  in  a  little  indentation  in  the 
bank,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  below  the  raft,  and  the 
remainder  of  their  things  they  took  into  their  "fire- 
proof vault"  — as  Robbins  called  it  — with  them. 

During  their  digging,  the  cinders  had  increased  in 
size  and  number,  and  the  boys  plainly  saw  that  if  they 
had  not  provided  their  underground  shelter  they  would 
have  been  burned  to  death. 

As  it  was,  they  were  uncomfortable  enough.  For,  as 
evening  advanced,  the  heat  increased,  and  the  roar  of 
the  fire  was  terrible.  They  could  hear  an  occasional 
crash  as  some  forest  monarch  bit  the  ground,  and, 
although    there    was   no    timber    in    their    immediate 


V    I 


\ 


The  Burning  Forest. 


173 


/ 


vicinity,  the  heat  was  wafiecl  into  their  retreat  so  strong 
that  they  were  bathed  in  perspiration. 

To  get  a  meal  under  the  circumstances  was  out  of 
the  question,  and,  as  they  had  nothing  cooked,  tney 
were  forced  to  try  the  same  kind  of  food  that  some  of 
the  party  had  suggested  for  the  turtle,  the  day  before. 

Crowded  and  cramped  together,  their  stomachs  faint 
from  their  long  fasting,  they  lay  and  sweltered  hour 
after  hour,  listening  to  the  roar  of  the  wind  and  the 
fire.  The  smoke  also  nearly  smothered  them,  and  they 
suffered  a  great  deal  from  it.  Their  mouths  became 
parched  and  dry,  and  they  longed  for  a  drop  of  the 
water  which  those  who  were  nearest  the  river  could 
hear  flowing  swiftly  past  their  retreat. 

The  flames  lit  up  the  water,  which,  on  account  of  the 
smoke,  had  a  peculiar,  sickly,  yellow  light,  and  the 
stream  sent  forth  a  constant  hissing  from  the  large,  red- 
hot  cinders  that  dropped  into  it  by  the  thousand. 

The  boys  did  not  suppose  that  the  fire  would  cross 
the  river;  but,  about  midnight,  some  of  the  under- 
brush caught  from  the  intense  heat  and  falling  sparks, 
and  the  flames  rapidly  spread,  lapping  up  everything 
along  the  river  bank,  and  then  swept  beyond  to  the 
heart  of  the  forest. 

Just  after  three  o'clock,  Claude  crawled  to  the  end  of 
the  tunnel,  at  the  river  bank,  and,  taking  a  dipper  with 
him,  went  down  to  the  stream  for  a  drink.  After  satis- 
fying his  thirst,  he  noticed  that  the  wind  had  died  down, 
and  that  no  cinders  of  any  account  were  falling.  Call- 
ing to  his  friends,  he  informed  them  that  they  could 
come  out  with  sifety  now  ;    and  then,  wading  into  the 


ii 


p 


174 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


river,  he  plunged  under  two  or  three  limes,  the  air 
being  so  warm  tliat  he  ran  no  rislc  of  taking  cold.  The 
other  members  of  the  party  followed  his  example,  and 
felt  greatly  refreshed  by  the  bath. 

The  light  from  the  fire  had  mostly  disappeared,  and 
while  the  boys  were  waiting  for  daylight  they  scraped 
the  dirt  off  from  the  raft,  and  managed,  in  spite  of  the 
semi-darkness,  to  get  all  their  things  on  it. 

The  smoke  was  as  dense  as  ever,  but  as  soon  as  the 
first  rays  of  daylight  penetrated  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  could  see  Ko  travel,  the  raft  was  pushed  from  the 
shore,  and  they  started  down  river  once  more. 

They  had  only  floated  about  half  a  mile  when  the 
raft  ran  into  an  enormous  pine,  half  burnt,  which  had 
fallen  from  the  river  bank;  and,  for  the  next  two  hours, 
they  met  with  constant  obstructions  of  this  nature, 
so  that  it  made  the  navigation  slow  and  tiresome. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  smoke  began  to  appear 
thinner,  and,  shortly  after,  they  came  to  a  part  of  the 
forest  where  the  trees  had  not  all  fallen  down,  although 
the  fire  had  been  in  them,  and  they  were  all  blackened. 
At  half  past  ten  they  reached  a  part  of  the  forest  where 
the  trees  had  been  only  singed,  the  foliage  beino- 
destroyed,  but  none  of  the  limbs  burned,  and  half  an 
hour  afterward  they  were  all  out  of  the  smoke,  and 
once  more  surrounded  by  a  live,  green  forest. 

The  party  h<id  now  been  over  twenty-four  hours  with- 
out food,  and  they  were  suffering  from  hunger,  as  well 
as  from  excitement,  fatigue,  and  loss  of  sleep,  and 
when  Claude  proposed  that  they  should  stop  at  t!)e 
mouth  of  a  small  brook  that  just  then  came  in  sight,  on 


The  Burninz  Forest. 


1 


«o 


( 


the  east  side  of  the  river,  they  all  accepted  the  propo- 
sition with  delight. 

The  raft  was  secured  just  below  the  brook,  and 
Wood  and  Drake  fished  from  it,  while  the  others 
helped  Maynard  and  Le  Roy  with  the  dinner.  A  veni- 
son stew  was  made,  and  a  few  trout  that  the  boys 
caught  were  cooked,  and  a  kettle  of  tea  brewed  over 
the  fire,  and  this  \v.io  the  best,  and,  in  fact,  all  that  the 
larder  afforded. 

"  How  much  farther  do  you  think  it  is  to  the  Seven 
Islands,  Claude  ?  "  inquired  Maynard,  while  they  were 
eating  dinner. 

"  I  have  no  idea.  The  smoke  has  upset  all  my  reck- 
oning ;  but  after  dinner  we'll  look  at  the  maps,  and  see 
if  we  can  tell." 

"We  shall  have  to  get  there  mighty  quick,  or  starve, 
although  I  suppose  we  could  sustain  life  on  fish  if  we 
can  catch  them.  This  stew  used  the  last  of  the  meat ; 
there  is  about  a  pound  of  pork  left,  about  two  messes 
of  tea,  and  perhaps  half  a  pint  of  salt,  and  that  com- 
prises the  entire  contents  of  the  commissary  depart- 
ment." 

*'  We  must  shoot  a  deer  to-night,"  suggested  Wood. 

"You  won't  catch  me  shooting  any  deer,"  replied  the 
cook,  "  I  never  slept  a  wink  last  night,  and  was  awake 
half  of  the  night  before,  and  if  I  know  myself,  and  I 
think  I  do,  I  am  going  to  turn  in  early  to-night." 

"  Then  we  shall  have  nothing  but  trout  for  supper  ?  " 
inquired  Foster. 

"  You  will  be  lucky  if  you  get  trout  for  supper," 
returned  Le  Roy.    "  All  that  were  caught  befce  dinner 


176 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


t 


have  been  eaten ;  and,  if  we  have  any  for  supper, 
somebody  will  have  to  catch  them." 

"  Here  is  the  map,"  said  Claude,  spreading  it  open 
on  the  grcmd ;  "and  now  we  can  judge  from  it  pretty 
nearly  where  we  are.  Yesterday  morning  we  left  Coni- 
stock  Brook,  and  we  floated  steadily  until  three  o'clock, 
and  tnen  we  were  on  the  river  five  or  six  hours  before 
we  stopped.  Now,  you  see,  here  are  a  number  of  small 
streams  emptying  into  the  river  on  the  east  side,  in 
township  eleven,  and  I  calculate  that  we  are  some- 
where along  here,  about  in  the  middle  of  the  town- 
ship." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  Claude,"  said  St.  Clair,  who 
was  looking  over  his  shoulder,  and  studying  the  map 
attentively;  "but  you  notice  in  the  townsh'  )  north  of 
us,  twelve,  there  is  an  island  in  the  river,  close  to  the 
south  line,  and  when  we  reach  that  island  we  can  tell 
where  we  are,  any  way." 

"  And  it  can't  be  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to 
the  Seven  Islands  from  vhere." 

"  We  surely  can  do  that  in  a  day,"  remarked  Win- 
gate,  "unless  that  part  of  the  river  is  worse  than 
anything  we  have  seen  yet." 

"  The  next  question  is,  are  we  going  any  farther 
to-day  ?  "  and  Le  Roy  looked  around  to  see  what  his 
friends  thought. 

"  I  say  yes,  for  one  !  "  cried  St.  Clair,  looking  at  his 
watch.  "  It's  only  two  o'clock,  and  if  we  are  right  in  our 
conclusions  as  to  where  we  are  now,  we  ought  to  reach 
that  island  considerably  before  dark.  It  can't  be  more 
than  five  or  six  miles  from  here." 


The  Burning  Forest. 


177 


"  There's  no  use  in  snoozing  our  time  away  here  like 
a  !ot  of  pigs,"  declared  Robbins.  "I  am  of  Andren-'s 
mind ;  I  say,  let's  start  for  the  island,  and  the  sooner 
we  are  under  way  the  sooner  we  shall  get  there." 

The  other  members  of  the  party  expressed  them- 
selves willing  to  move  on,  for  the  three-hours  rest  they 
had  taken  had  refreshed  them  considerably,  and  in  fif- 
teen minutes  they  were  again  navigating  the  Slow  Poke 
toward  the  Seven  Islands. 

They  had  a  good  current  the  rest  of  the  afternoon, 
with  occasional  rapids  and  shoals,  but  none  that  gave 
them  any  special  trouble,  and  Claude  calculated  that 
the  old  raft  made  at  least  two  miles  an  hour.  They 
did  not  try  to  propel  their  ungainly  craft  ahead  any, 
but  only  kept  it  in  the  strongest  part  of  the  current. 

About  four  o'clock  they  rounded  a  sharp  bend,  and, 
as  they  caught  a  glimpse  at  the  river  beyond,  they 
were  delighted  to  see  a  very  large  caribou  come  out  of 
the  woods,  from  the  east,  and  lake  to  the  water. 

The  animal  was  not  more  than  six  rods  away,  and 
before  he  was  twenty  feet  from  the  shore  the  boys 
opened  a  perfect  fusillade  on  him,  sending  at  least  half 
a  dozen  bullets  into  hiir,  and  he  died  almost  instantly. 

The  raft  was  paddled  up  to  him  as  quickly  as  possi- 
ble, and  he  was  hauled  up  on  it.  The  animal  must 
have  weighed  five  or  six  hundred  pounds,  and  it  was  all 
the  boys  could  do  to  get  him  out  of  the  water.  As  it  only 
needed  three  or  four  to  manage  the  Slozu  Poke,  the 
others  turned  their  attention  to  the  caribou,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  skin  him  and  cut  him  up. 

At  ten  minutes  past  five  they  sighted  the  island  they 


|¥ 


i    ' 


178 


Up  the  North  Branch., 


were  looking  for,  and,  after  passing  it,  steered  the  raft 
in  to  the  eastern  bank,  and  made  it  fast. 

Maynard  and  Le  Roy  hastily  began  preparations  for 
supper,  while  the  other  members  of  the  party  provided 
a  shelter  and  cut  some  fuel.     There  was  no  time  for 
fishing,  and  some  nice  steaks  were  cut  from  one  of  the 
hindquarters  of  the  caribou,  and  broiled  over  a  bed  of 
coals ;  and  that,  with  a  cup  of  tea,  formed  the  supper. 
After  the  meal  was  over,  Maynard  and  Le  Roy  took 
care  of  the  caribou  meat,  so  that  it  would  be  safe  from 
the  visits  of  any  wild  animals  during  the   night,  and 
between  eight  and  nine  the  whole  party  retired  to  rest, 
glad  enough  for  a  chance  to  lie  down  where  they  stood 
a  show  for  a  decent  night's  sleep.     The  last  two  days 
had  been  terribly  hard  ones  for  some  of  the  members 
of  the  club,  and  only  that  they  were  so  short  of  pro- 
visions Claude  would  have  persuaded  them  to  have 
rested  that  afternoon,  instead  of  coming  to  the  island. 
But,  being  out  of  groceries  of  every  kind,  he  thought 
that  the  sooner  they  reached  a  place  where  supplies 
could  be  bought,  the  better  it  would  be  for  all  hands, 
for  every  fellow  in  the  crowd  was  longing  for  a  change 

of  diet. 

About  four  o'clock  Wednesday  morning,  they  were 
awakened  by  swarms  of  midges,  and,  after  trying  to 
fight  them  without  getting  up,  were  compelled  to  turn 
out  and  start  a  smudge. 

"Great  Scott!"  exclaimed  Wood,  as  he  besmeared 
his  face  and  hands  with  fly  preparation,  "I  should 
thirk  a  midge  had  died  here,  and  that  all  there  were 
left  ir  Maine  had  come  to  his  funeral." 


The  Biiniiu<r  Forest. 


179 


"  It  is  quite  evident  the  fire  did  not  destroy  tliem 
all,"  remarked  Drake.  "But,  as  long  as  I  am  up 
so  early,  I  air^  ^oing  to  cast  a  fly  awhile,  and  see  if  1 
cannot  raise  a  few  trout.'' 

"  I'll  go  ^vith  you,  if  you  have  no  objection,"  said 
Wood. 

"  Not  the  slightest.  We  can  fish  an  hour  or  so  before 
breakfast  ivill  be  ready."  And  the  two  boys  took  their 
rods  and  fly-books,  and  one  landing-net,  and  went  up 
the  river  a  few  rods,  to  ihe  head  of  the  island,  where 
the  water  looked  favorable  for  trout. 

By  the  advice  of  Claude,  Maynard  and  Le  Roy  cooked 
enough  of  the  cariboi  meat  for  breakfast  and  dinner, 
so  that  they  would  not  have  to  spend  the  time  at  noon 
in  making  a  fire.  This  used  one  of  the  fore  and  hind 
quarters,  and  the  others  were  cut  up  into  junks  and  put 
in  a  bag,  so  the  meat  could  be  kept  out  of  the  sun. 

"We  shall  use  the  last  of  the  tea  this  morning,  and 
I  hope  we  shall  reach  the  Seven  Islands  to-night.  I 
whh.  to  get  to  that  farm  as  soon  as  possible,  a'tid  see 
what  we  can  find  in  the  way  of  supplies.  I  shall  for- 
get how  bread  tastes  if  we  don't  get  some  flour  soon." 

"By  Jove!"  exclaimed  Wingate,  "I  wish  we  had 
some  hot  biscuits  for  breakfast  this  morning;  wouldn't 
they  taste  boss  !  " 

"Oh,  shut  up!"  cried  Le  Roy,  "what  do  you  want 
to  tantalize  a  fellow  for.?" 

"  I  hope  we  can  buy  some  coffee,"  said  Robbins ;  "  I 
miss  that  more  than  anything  else." 

"  I  doubt  very  much  if  we  can  get  any  coffee,"  re- 
marked Claude,  "or,  at  least,  any  that  we  would' care 


180 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


to  drink.  The  coffee  they  have  back  here  in  the  wil- 
derness is  mi^^hty  poor  stuff.  Not  much  like  the  Mocha 
and  Java  \vc  brought  with  us,  but  I  do  think  we  can 
get  the  lea,  and  that  will  be  much  beiltr  than  drinking 
cold  water  all  the  lime." 

"We  must  buy  all  the  provisions  at  Long  Lake  that 
we  can  get,"  declared  Foster,  "for  I  doubt  if  we  can 
get  any  more  until  we  reach  Fort  Kent,  and  that  is  a 
confounded  long  way  from  the  Seven  Islands." 

"  I  go  in  for  buying  all  we  can  get,"  said  St.  Clair, 
"but  after -we  get  down  the  river,  a  few  miles  below 
the  Seven  Islands,  we  shall  corne  to  a  farm  occasion- 
ally, and  we  can  buy  a  few  things  from  every  farm  that 
we  come  to." 

"  I  know  one  thing,"  added  Robbins,  "  and  that  is, 
that  it  takes  quite  a  pile  of  grub  to  run  this  crowd." 

"  Which  nobody  will  deny,"  sang  Wingate.  "  But  I 
don't  care  how  much  it  takes,  if  we  can  only  get  it." 

"Will  somebody  call  those  fishermen?"  inquired 
Maynard.     "Breakfast  is  ready." 

"You're  in  luck,  Maynard,  to  be  cook  this  week," 
bantered  Le  Roy.     "  You  don't  have  anything  to  cook." 

"  All  the  same,  I  don't  like  it.  I  had  rather  get  up 
a  meal  of  a  dozen  courses  than  cook  such  a  break- 
fast as  this,"  and  the  chef  looked  disgusted  as  he  gazed 
upon  the  one  article  of  which  the  meal  was  composed. 

Foster  went  down  to  the  river,  and  gave  a  yell  for 
the  fishermen,  that  could  have  been  heard  half  a  mile, 
or  less,  and  in  about  ten  minutes  they  made  their  ap- 
pearance, looking  rather  glum,  and  with  the  landing- 
net  empty. 


The  Buruitiij^  Forest. 


181 


"  Where  arc  your  trout  ?  "  queried  Maynard. 

"  In  the  river,"  answered  Wood. 

"  Forgot  to  bring  them  u]),  didn't  you  ?  "  asked  Win- 
gate. 

"  Wc  were  afraid  they  would  spoil  if  we  took  them 
out  of  the  water,"  declared  Wood. 

*'  Vou  and  I  should  have  gone  fishing,"  said  Foster 
to  St.  Clair,  "and  then  we  should  have  had  some  trout 
for  breakfast." 

"  Nobody  objected  to  your  going,"  remarked  Drake. 

"True,"  replied  St.  Clair,  "but,  after  you  had  spoken 
of  going,  we  hated  to  start  and  catch  all  the  fibh." 

"  Don't  stand  there  chaffing  all  day,"  cried  May- 
nard. "You  had  better  eat  your  caribou  steak  while 
it  is  hot,  for  you  will  have  a  cold  lunch  for  dinner." 

Breakfast  was  over  by  six  o'clock,  and  thirty  min- 
utes afterwards  the  Slow  Poke  again  started  toward 
the  ocean.  After  a  two-hours  run,  they  passed  another 
small  island,  and,  shortly  after,  the  mouth  of  a  small 
stream  that  emplied  into  the  river  from  the  east  side. 

"What  stream  is  that?"  inquired  Wood,  as  they 
passed  by  its  mouth. 

"Can't  tell  you,  Dave,"  replied  Claude.  "None  of 
these  small  streams  have  names  on  the  maps,  and  they 
probably  don't  amount  to  much." 

"  We  ought  to  name  them,"  suggested  Drake. 

"  I  doubt  if  the  names  would  slick,"  remarked  Win- 
gate,  laughing. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  has  become  of  the  sheriff 
and  his  party  t  "  asked  Foster  of  Claude. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.     If  they  found  tht;ii  xaen 


182 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


^  ,11 


at  the  Depot  Farm,  they  may  have  started  back  and 
been  caught  in  tlie  fire." 

"  If  they  were,  I  hope  those  two  scoundrels  were 
roasted,  and  thai  the  others  escaped,"  said  Wingate. 

"  What  a  speech,  Charlie  !  You  don't  mean  that," 
replied  Claude. 

"  Yes  I  do,  too.     Didn't  they  try  to  bum  us  alive  ?  " 

"No  denying  that.  But  you  don't  wish  to  make 
yourself  as  bad  as  they  were,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  not  proposing  to  burn  them  myself.  1  only 
wished  for  them  to  be  burned." 

"  But  the  thought  is  father  to  the  act,  and  you  are 
placing  yourself  on  a  level  with  them,  even  by  making 
such  inhuman  wishes.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  froth 
about  you  at  times,"  and  Claude  laughed,  "for  you 
know,  if  you  had  those  men  for  insta-ice  in  a  log  camp 
out  here  in  the  forest,  and  they  were  helpless  to  pre- 
vent it,  you  would  no  sooner  set  the  building  on  fire 
than  I  would." 

"  I  don't  suppose  I  would,"  finally  replied  Charlie, 
after  a  few  minutes'  silence,  and  his  friends  all  laughed 
at  the  way  Claude  had  floored  him  in  the  argument. 

"  What  I  am  the  most  anxious  about  is  our  boats," 
remarked  Le  Roy.  "  How  can  we  continue  our  trip 
without  them.  I  have  had  about  all  I  want  of  the 
Slow  Poke,  She  is  altogether  too  lumbering  a  craft  to 
suit  me." 

"Of  course,  she's  a  lumbering  craft,"  chipped  in 
Wood,  quickly  ;  "  she's  built  of  logs." 

"  Bosh !  "  cried  Le  Roy. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  recover  +hcm,"  spoke  up  Claude, 


% 


TJic  nnfiiiiii^  Foirst. 


1S:J 


*'for,  if  wc  don'i,  it  will  be  quite  a  loss  to  us,  beside 
the  inconvenience  we  shall  be  subjected  to  Probably 
we  niiirht  hire  a  bateau,  or  some  kind  of  a  boat,  of 
the  man  who  lives  on  the  farm  al  Lonj^  Lake,  but  it 
would  not  be  like  having  cur  own." 

"  And  it  would  be  so  infernally  heavy  to  lu^f;  if  we 
made  any  carries."  sugjjested  Winga'e. 

Just  then  the  Slow  Poke  shot  into  a  heavy  rapid,  and 
it  took  the  energies  of  all  the  crew  to  get  her  through 
in  safety.  There  was  hardly  water  "nough  for  her. 
Twice  she  grounded  on  the  rocks,  and  could  not  be 
started  until  four  of  the  fellows  went  into  the  river  and 
lifted  on  the  hind  end,  and  then  they  worked  hei  off. 

Soon  after  this  incident  they  reached  a  sandy  shoal, 
and  all  were  compelled  to  get  out  and  wade  for  some 
distance,  as  the  raft  would  not  carry  her  load  without 
dragging  on  bottom. 

This  was  one  of  the  hottest  days  the  boys  had  seen 
while  out  on  the  trip ;  there  was  not  a  breath  of  air  stir- 
ring, and  the  rays  of  the  sun  almost  scorched  thern^  as 
they  were  entirely  unprotected  from  ii. 

"Do  you  have  any  Iiotter  weather  in  Florida  than 
this,  Robbins?"  inquired  St.  Clair,  as  he  mopped  his 
face  with  a  pocket-handkerchief.  "  If  yoa  do,  I  don't 
care  to  live  there." 

"  I  have  never  seen  a  day,  since  I  lived  there,  that  I 
felt  t^e  heat  worse  than  I  do  to-day.  If  there  was  only 
a  little  breeze,  it  would  not  be  nearly  as  bad." 

"  Half  past  twelve,"  remavked  Drake.  "  How  about 
something  to  eat,  Maynard  ?  " 

"We  can  have  what  there  is,  any  time;  shall  we 


I 


184 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


!): 


1    1 


I 


keep    the    raft    in    motion    while   we   lunch,  or  go  on 
shore  ? " 

"  Oh,  keep  the  old  thing  running.  If  there  is  any 
chance  to  reach  those  islands,  which  I  begin  to  think 
a  myth,  let's  do  it  to-night,  or  'bust,'  "  said  Wingate. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  keep  our  craft  under  way," 
agreed  Claude.  "  Two  can  steer  her,  and  Charlie  and 
I  will  do  it,  while  the  rest  of  you  eat.  Then  some  of 
you  can  relieve  us,  and  we  can  take  our  luncheon,  for 
it  would  be  a  stretch  of  courtesy  to  call  it  a  dinner." 

"I  object  to  that!"  declared   Maynard.     "Let   Le 
Roy  and  me  run  the  Sloiu  Poke^  and  the  rest  of  you  eat. 
There  is  such  a  tremendous  variety  that  you  don't  need 
any  waiting  upon  to-day,"  laughing,  "  and  then  we  will 
eat  when  some  of  you  are  ready  to  spell  us." 
"  Let  us  wait,"  said  Wingate.     "  I  don't  objecr." 
"  I  know  that,"  replied  ALaynard.    "  But  Le  Roy  and 
I  will  have  to  wash  the  dishes  and  clear  up,   so   we 
would  rather  wait,  and  navigate  this  racer." 

"Racer!"  cried  Foster,  contemptuously;  "a  snail 
would  beat  her." 

"  Always  speak  well  of  a  bridge  that  carries  you 
safely  over  a  stream,"  remarked  St.  Clair.  "And  if  the 
Slow  Poke  lands  us  in  safety  at  the  Seven  Islands,  she 
deserves  our  thanks  instead  of  condemnation." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Claude,  "  the  old  raft  has 
done  us  a  good  turn." 

The  party  had  considerable  fun  over  their  meagre 
meal,  and  laughed  and  joked  with  as  much  spirit  as  tl  e 
intense  heat  would  allow. 

"I    suppose    the    Frenchiflen    who    first    came    to 


The  Burning  Forest. 


185 


Canada    named  this  river,"  ventured  Drake,  with  an 
interrogative  look  at  Claude. 

"  Of  course  they  did,"  replied  the  leader  of  the 
party,  "  or  it  would  not,  in  my  opinion,  have  been  called 
the  St.  John  River.  You  will  tind  the  name  of  every 
saint  that  was  ever  heard  of,  read  of,  or  dreamt  of,  by 
.nny  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  applied  to 
something  or  other  in  Canada.  It  pans  out  well  for 
saints,  I  tell  you." 

About  two  o'clock  a  gentle  breeze  sprang  up,  and 
made  the  heat  more  endurable.  The  boys  hoped  there 
might  be  a  shower  before  night,  but  the  sky  did  not 
look  like  it,  and  not  a  cloud  appeared  in  the  patch  of 
sky  open  to  them. 

"  By  the  Great  Horn  Spoon  !  "  exclaimed  Maynard, 
about  three  o'clock,  '•  I  see  an  island  ahead." 
"  So  do  I,"  "And  I  ! "  cried  several  others. 
"  Do  you  suppose  that  is  one  of  the  seven,  Claude  ?  " 
asked  Wood. 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  hope  so,  any  way.  Let's  take  a 
look  at  one  of  the  maps." 

Claude  spread  one  out,  and  the  boys  scanned  it 
eagerly. 

"Why,  there  are  eight  islands,"  remarked  Wood. 
"  And  this  one  we  are  coming  to,  by  the  scale  of  the 
map,  should  be  a  mile  and  a  half  long." 

"There  are  seven  all  together,  beyond  the  long  one," 
pointed  out  Wingate.  "  Probably  this  large  one  don't 
count." 

"  Which  side  of  it  had  we  better  go  ?  "  qr.eried  Rob- 
birs,  who  was,  at  the  momunit,  one  of  the  stciirsmen. 


186 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  We'll  decide  when  \vc  get  closer  to  it,"  replied 
Claude. 

Fifteen  minutes  brought  the  raft  up  with  the  head  of 
the  island  ;  and  Claude  and  Wingate  concluded  the 
water  looked  the  best  on  the  starboard  side,  and 
the  1  was  accordingly  headed  for  the  right-hand 
channel. 

"  We  muLt  be  careful,  fellows,  and  not  pass  by  the 
road,"  said  Le  Roy. 

"That's  so,"  agreed  St.  Clair.  "We  had  better 
keep  on  the -right-hand  side  of  the  river  the  rest  of  the 
way,  and  when  we  get  where  we  think  the  road  is,  we 
can  go  on  shore  and  look  it  up." 

All  agreed  that  this  was  good  advice,  and  it  was 
acted  upon,  as  far  as  the  condition  of  the  river  would 
allow,  oometimes  they  had  to  shift  to  the  left  side  on 
account  of  deeper  water  being  found  there,  or  to 
avoid  some  bowlder  that  was  planted  on  the  starboard 
side  of  the  stream. 

Rapids  and  shoals  were  numerous,  and  their  progress 
was  slow  after  they  cleared  the  "  Long  Island,"  as  they 
ciiristened  it,  and  it  was  not  until  six  o'clock  that  they 
reached  the  place  »vhere  the  road  crossed  the  river. 

They  gave  three  cheers  when  they  found  they  were 
really  at  the  road,  and  within  reasonable  walking  dis- 
tance of  a  human  haoitation. 


I 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


A    BEAR    HUNT. 


After  their  things  had  been  carried  on  shore,  there 
\vas  quite  a  hot  and  lengthy  argument  as  lo  whether 
they  should  camp  where  they  were,  or  try  to  walk  to  the 
Depot  Farm  that  night. 

The  younger  members  of  the  party  were  in  favor  of 
starting  for  the  farm  at  once,  and  trying  to  get  some 
supper  after  they  readied  it.  Wood  sa'd  they  would 
have  the  moon  all  the  way,  and  that  they  could  get 
there  easily  enough. 

Wingate  claimed  it  would  take  from  four  to  six  hours 
to  walk  the  distance,  especially  in  the  night,  and  that 
the  people  living  at  Jie  farm  would  not  care  to  be 
turned  out  at  midnight  to  get  supper  for  nearly  a  dozen 
hungry  lellows  who  would  eat  all  before  them. 

The  more  they  talked,  the  further  they  drifted  from 
a  conclusion ;  and  Claude  finally  pro;  )sed  that  they 
take  a  vote  on  the  question,  the  defeated  party  to  ac- 
cept the  result  cheerfully,  and  make  no  more  talk 
about  it. 

This  '  s  agreed  to,  and  a  vote  taken  ;  the  result 
being  that  six  of  the  party  voted  to  camp  where  they 
■were,  and  three  to  go  forward  to  the  farm.  This  settled 
the  matter,  and  Maynard  and  Le  Roy  built  a  fire  and 
be^n  cooking  some  of  the  caribou  meat  for  supper, 

lit 


!    ; 


I    I 


188 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


while  the  others  busied  themselves  in  cutting  firewood 
and  preparing  a  shelter  for  the  night. 

Thursday  morning,  Foster  and  St.  Clair  arose  early, 
and  went  off  by  themselves  fishing,  and  returned  just 
before    breakfast    was   ready    with   twenty   nice    trout, 
-  weighing  on  an  average  half  a  pound  each. 

"  Here,  Maynard,"  said  St.  Clair,  as  the  two  fisher- 
men walked  up  to  the  fire,  where  the  cook  was  broiling 
his  caribou  steaks,  "are  some  trout.  They  are  all 
cleaned,  and  you  had  better  cook  them  for  breakfast. 
It  will  be  a  little  better  than  the  caribou  alone." 

"That  is  so,"  acknowledged  the  cook.  "I  should 
not  mind  eating  a  trout  myself." 

"  Hullo !  "  cried  Wood,  who  now  caught  sight  of  the 
irout.     *'  Where  did  you  take  those  fish,  Billy?" 

"  Took  them  here  to  the  cook,  so  we  could  have  them 
for  breakfast,"  answered  Foster. 

"  Nonsense  !  I  mean  where  did  you  catch  them  >  " 

"  Caught  them  out  of  the  water,"  replied  St.  Clair. 

"  ril  bet  five  dollars  you  didn't,"  laughed  Wingate, 

who  had  heard  Andrew's  remark  ;  "  I'll  bet  you  caught 

them  in  the  water.     You  don't  often  catch  trout  out  on 

the  land." 

"What  arr;  you  fellows  indulging  in,  a  hair-splitting 
match  ?  "  queried  Claude,  coming  up  to  the  group. 

"No,"  replied  Foster;  "  we  were  only  trying  to  con- 
vince Dave  and  Rob  that  it  took  fishermen  to  catch  fish, 
r.nd  then  Charlie  had  to  poke  his  nose  into  the  mess." 
"  Breakfast !  "  cried  Le  Roy  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
and  the  fellows  stopped  their  argument  and  sat  down  at 
the  table. 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


180 


"  Shail  we  leave  any  of  our  things  here  ?  "  inquired 
Wood,  while  they  wer:^  eating. 

"I  don't  think  it  best  to  do  so,"  replied  Maynard. 
"We  can  easily  carry  our  blankets,  guns,  rods,  etc., 
and  the  cooking  utensils  can  be  divided  between  us. 
There  is  only  a  little  of  the  caribou  meat  left,  not  more 
than  twenty  or  twenty-five  pounds,  and  we  can  take 
turns  in  carrying  that." 

"If  it's  as  hot  as  it  was  yesterday,  it  will  make  us 
sweat  some  before  we  get  there,"  declared  Drake ; 
*'  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  is  a  pretty  good  walk  with  a 
load." 

"And  yet  you  wanted  to  try  it  after  six  o'clock  last 
evening,"  bantered  Robbins. 

"  Because  I  thought  it  would  be  cooler." 

"It  is  not  going  to  be  so  hot  to-day,"  asserted 
Claude.  "The  wind  is  coming  out  from  the  north- 
west, and  we  shall  have  quite  a  comfortable  day  for 
August." 

"  That  is  to  say,"  added  Le  Roy,  with  a  laugh,  ''•  that 
it  is  going  to  be  a  very  Au-gust  day." 

"  That's  stale  !  "  shouted  Foster. 

"I  hope  the  road  is  perfectly  plain,"  remarked 
Drake.  "After  losing  our  boats,  narrowly  escaping 
being  burned  to  death,  and  half  starved,  I  don't  care 
to  get  lost  in  the  v.oods." 

"  Half  starved  ! "  cried  Maynard ;  "  well,  if  you  haven't 
gall,  I  wouldn't  say  so.  After  eating  two  or  three  trout, 
and  four  or  five  pounds  of  caribou  meat  for  breakfast, 
you  must  be  very  near  a  starving  condition.  If  you 
feel  very  weak,  I'll  be  one  to  help  carry  you," 


100 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"Go  hire  a  hall,"  retorted  Drake,  "  and  empty  your- 
self of  wind.  I  was  not  speaking  to  you,  anyhow. 
Some  people  are  always  shoving  their  oar  in  where 
it  is  not  wanted." 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall  get  off  the  road,"  remarked 
Claude,  laughing  at  his  Iriends'  chaffing.  "It  is 
plainly  laid  down  on  the  map,  and  I  think  we  can 
follow  it  easily  enough.  It  has  been  a  winter  road  for 
years,  and  must  be  well  delined.  Anyhow,  I  will  guar- 
antee to  piiot  you  to  the  farm  safely,  if  you'll  follow 
me." 

"This  may  have  been  a  winter  road  once,  but  it  is  a 
summer  road  now,"  grinned  Foster. 

"  Idiot !  "  cried  Le  Roy.  "  Now,  I'm  even  with  you, 
you  sardine." 

"  If  he's  a  sardine,  let's  can  him,"  suggested  Woc^, 

"  We  can't,"  said  Drake. 

"  Why  ? " 

*'  We  have  no  cans." 

"  Of  course  we  can't  can  him,  if  we  have  no  cans,  can 
we  ?  "  added  Le  Roy. 

"Shades  of  Belshazzar!  I  can't  stand  this,"  re- 
marked Maynard,  and,  swinging  his  dish-cloth  around 
dripping  wet,  he  took  Le  Roy  in  the  face,  and  then 
added,  "  Now,  if  you  fellows  are  going  to  keep  on  talk- 
ing like  drivelling  idiots,  get  out  of  my  hearing,  or 
there'll  be  a  funeral  in  this  family,  and  I  shall  be  chief 
mourner." 

"Confound  you,  Frank,"  sputtered  Le  Roy,  as  the 
boys  roared  at  the  cook's  act  of  vengeance,  "  I  owe  you 
one,  and  I'll  pay  you  before  night,  or  yuu  may  work  me 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


101 


i 


up  into  fish  balls,"  and  he  went  down  to  the  river  and 
washed  his  face. 

At  seven  o'clock,  the  boys  had  their  packs  slung 
upon  their  shoulders,  and  took  up  their  line  of  march 
for  the  head  of  Long  Lake,  Claude  leading  the  proces- 
sion. 

"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  fellows,"  said  St.  Clair,  "par- 
tridges are  large  enough  :o  shoot,  and  we  must  keep 
our  eyes  open.  We  ought  to  run  across  some  on  this 
road." 

"  They  must  have  queer  partridges  up  in  this  coun- 
try," remarked  Wood,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  How  so  ?  "  queried  Robbins. 

"Why,  Andrew  said  they  were  large  enough  to 
shoot,  and  I  never  heard  of  partridges  shooting 
before." 

"  There's  another  case  of  dish-cloth,  Frank  !  "  laughed 
Claude. 

"  Ves,  I  only  wish  I  had  it  full  of  greasy  water,  and 
I'd  quiet  that  blockhead." 

"  Say,  fellows,  I've  got  a  conundrum  for  you,"  puff.d 
Drake,  as  he  staggered  along  under  what  was  really  a 
heavy  load  for  him. 

"  Keep  it,  then,"  growled  Le  Roy,  who  was  still  think- 
ing of  Maynard  and  his  dish-cloth. 

"Oh,  let  him  fire  i:  off,"  assented  Foster,  "he'll  ha- - 
less  load  to  carry  then." 

"  Spit  it  out,  Bob,"  advised  Robbins. 

"Why  would  a  cock  partridge  make  a  good  member 
of  a  militarv  ■  and  ?  " 

"Give  it  up,"  cried  St.  Clair. 


I- 


192 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  Because  he's  a  capital  drummer,"  said  Wood,  with  a 
smile  of  saiisfaction. 

"Tell  us  when  to  lau;;h,  Rob,"  bantered  Le  Roy. 
"Some  people  don't  possess  that  facuUy,"  retorted 

Drake. 

About  half  past  eight,  they  reached  a  stream  that  ran 
across  the  road.  They  were  all  thirsty  and  gladly  took 
the  opportunity  to  get  a  drink. 

Le  Roy  watched  Maynara.  and,  just  as  they  reached 
the  middle  of  the  brook,  he  tripped  Frank  up,  who  came 
down  full  'length  in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  where  the 
water  was  about  six  inches  deep,  and,  of  course,  he  got 
a  thorough  ducking. 

"  Now,  I've  paid  my  debt,"  shouted  Tommy,  as  he 
rushed  ahead  to  keep  out  of  Maynard's  way. 

"  T  thought  I  heard  something  drop,"  remarked  Rob- 
bins,  as  Maynard  scrambled  to  his  feet. 

"  I  had  that  impression  myself,"  laughed  Maynard, 
who  did  not  lose  his  temper,  as  many  would  have  done. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  boys  stopped  half  an  hour  to  re.st 
a^  a  spot  where  they  found  an  abundance  of  raspberries, 
and  they  improved  the  time  by  eating  a  pint  or  two  of 
berries  each. 

"My  stars!  Aren't  these  berries  delicicis?"  said 
Foster,  not  speaking  very  plainly,  however,  for  his 
mouth  was  full  of  the  fruit. 

"I  should  like  about  two  quarts  of  them  for  my 
dinner,"  remarked  Claude.  "If  they  grow  anywhere 
on  that  farm,  I  mean  to  have  some  for  supper." 

"We  can  all  go  berrying,"  suggested  Drake,  "if 
there  are  any  in  the  vicinity." 


n 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


193 


"  And  we'll  do  it  too,"  added  Maynard. 
As  the  boys  travelled  onward,  they  frequently  saw 
deer  tracks  in  the  road,  and  also  those  of  bears  and 
moose  several  times.  They  also  came  upon  two  flocks 
of  partridges  at  different  times,  but  the  birds  heard 
them  and  flew  before  the  boys  could  drop  their  packs 
and  get  ready  to  shoot. 

"  It  strikes  me,  we  need   not  go  any  farther  to  find 
game,"  remarked  Robbins.     "  Judging  by  what  we  have 
seen  in  the  way  of  signs  on  this  carry,  we  can  have 
good  sport  to  stop  at  this  farm  awhile." 
'  "  If  the  people  will  board  us,  it  might  be  a  good  idea 
to  stay  with  them  a  few  weeks,"  added  Claude. 
♦'  I  go  in  for  that,"  chimed  in  Robbins. 
"  We  shall  find  more  partridges  in  the  vicinity  of  that 
farm  than  we  shall  in  the  forest ;  and,  if  berries  are 
plenty  in  the  vicinity,  that  will  be  an  additional  in- 
ducement." 

•    "  I  can  think  of  another,"  said  St.  Clair. 
«•  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Claude. 

"  Milk  and  butter.     Probably  they  keep  cows,  and,  if 
they  do,  we  can  get  all  the  milk  and  butter  we  want." 

"And  ran  live  like  fighting  cocks,"  cried  Wood, 
gleefully. 

"  But  if  they  won't  board  us?  "  queried  Drake. 
♦'  If  they  will   let  us  draw  on  them  ior  supplies,  I 
don't  care  whether  they  board  us  or   not,"  declar    ' 
Claude. 

As  the  sun  rose  higher  and  higher,  the  heat  began  to 
tell  upon  the  boys  in  spite  of  the  cool  breeze  that  had 
befriended  them'  all  the  way.     The  road  seemed  inter- 


194 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


N- 


\\\ 


minable,  and  their  feet  ached,  while  every  rag  of  cloth- 
ing on  then  was  wet  through. 

'^  Talk  about  it  being  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to  th.n 
farm,"  said  Drake,  with  a  snort  of  contempt.  ''  We 
have  travelled  twenty  five  now." 

Claude  laughed  at  Drake's  idea  of  the  distance  trav- 
eiled,  and  then  said  :  — 

'*  My  boy,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  through  the  woods 
is  a 'light 'smart  distance,' as  they  say  in  the  South. 
But  keep  up  your  courage,  for  we  shall  certainly  get 
there  if  wa  keep  on  putting  one  foot  before  the  other. 
And  when  we  &o  get  there,  we  will  have  a  good  rest." 

•'  1  know  I  shall,  for  o-.e,"  asserted  \tingate,  "  and  I 
think  we  had  all  better  lie  off  for  a  day  or  two,  and  do 
nothing  but  loaf  around  the  house.  I  want  to  write  up 
my  diary,  and  mend  some  of  my  clothes.  1  begin  to 
look  like  a  tramp." 

"  So  do  all  of  us,  for  that  matter,"  laughed  Le  Roy. 
The  boys  now  walked  for  about  a  mile  in  silence. 
In  fact,  the  weight  of  their  loads,  combined  with  the 
heat  and  their  constantly  increasing  fatigue,  did  not 
incline  them  to  talk  much,  and  conversation  was  only 
kept  up  spasmodically  the  rest  of  the  distance. 

"  The  man  who  says  that  it  is  not  more  than  twelve 
or  fifteen  miles  from  the  Seven  Islands  to  Long  Lake 
is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him,"  remarked  St. 
Clair. 

'•  Nor  never  was,"  added  Le  Roy. 
"Amen  to  that,"  cried  Wood. 

"What  a  fool  a  fellow  will  make  of  himself  for  fun," 
growled   Drake.      "You    couldn't   hire    one    of   us  to 


!ti!i 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


11)5 


make  a  mule  of  himself  at  home,  an.vl  yet  we  have  bet-ii 
doing  it  ever  since  we  started  into  the  woods,  and  call 
it  pleasure." 

"  Of  course  we  do,"  chuckled  Robbins.  "  This  is 
jjood  for  your  liver,  liob." 

"  My  liver  is  all  right,  but  I'll  be  hanged  if  my  feet 
are.     Thty  ache  worse  than  an  ulcerated  tooth." 

*'  I  pity  you,  then,"  said  Wingate. 

"When  we  reach  the  farm,"  encouraged  Claude, 
"  we'll  have  a  good  dinner,  and  a  rest,  and  toward 
night  we  can  rake  a  bath  in  the  lake.  Then,  get  a  good 
night's  sleep,  and  we'll  feel  like  new  beings  to-morrow." 

"  I  hope  we  shall,"  replied  Drake,  "for  I  begin  to 
feel  about  played  out.  I  move  we  take  ten  minutes' 
rest." 

"  Second  the  motion,"  added  Wood,  swinging  his 
knapsack  from  his  shoulders,  and  coining  to  a  stop. 

"  It's  a  long  walk,  I  know,  fellows,  and  we  are  carry- 
ing pretty  good  loads,  but  we  can't  be  a  great  way  fro-n 
the  farm,  for  it  is  after  twelve  o'clock  now,  I  should  say 
for  a  guess,"  as  he  looked  at  the  sun,  and  then,  taking 
out  his  watch,  announced  the  time,  "quarter  past 
twelve." 

•'  And  we  have  been  travelling  five  hours,"  asserted 
Maynard. 

"You're  wrong,  Frank.  Not  over  four,  if  we  have 
that.  We  certainly  have  lost  an  hour  on  the  road," 
and  Claude  bathed  his  face  and  hands  in  fiy  prepara- 
tion, for  the  mosquitoes  found  the  party  the  moment 
they  stOjjped,  aUhough  they  did  not  trouble  them  much 
while  they  were  in  motion. 


a^:- 


196 


up  the  North  Branch. 


"  I  think  it's  queer  we  have  not  seen  anything  of  the 
shcrifT  and  his  party,"  remjirkeci  Foster.     •'  He  told  me 
he    .as  coming  back  by  the  river." 
"  It  is  queer,"  acknowledged  Drake. 
"  He  was  afraid  Charlie  would  capture  his  prisoners 
and  hang  them  without  judge  or  jury."  declared  Claude, 
giving  Wingate  a  good-natured  poke  in  the  ribs. 
"They  deserve  it,"  said  Wingate,  with  emphasis. 
"Come,  fellows,  let's  be   ^.oking  along,"  urged  Le 
Roy.     "There  is  a  dinner  waiting  for  us  somewhere, 
and  we  want  to  find  it." 

"  You're  right,  we  do,"  agreed  Robbins. 
The  packs  were  again  shouldered,  and  the  boys 
trudged  wearily  onward.  The  sun  poured  down  as 
fiercely  as  ever,  but  occasionally,  as  they  turned  an 
angle  in  the  road,  they  caught  a  little  whill  of  the  north- 
wester, and  for  a  moment  it  cooled  iheir  heatc'  brows 
and  fanned  their  feverish  cheeks. 

A  few  minutes  before  one,  Claude,  who  was  sevtra! 
rods  in  advance,  came  in  sight  of  the  lake,  and,  giving 
a  shout  of  encouragement  to  the  others,  waited  until 
they  joined  Mm.  The  sight  of  the  water  gave  them 
new  courage,  and  they  were  soon  at  the  house. 

They  were  lucky  enough  to  find  the  proprietor,  a  Mr. 
Gurney,  at  home,  and  asked  him  the  first  thing  if  he 
could  give  them    ome  dinner. 

"  Guess  I  can,  if  you'll  give  me  time,"  was  the  an- 
swer. 

"And    can    we   stop  with   you    to-night?"    queried 

Drake. 

"  Ye  can,  if  the  woman's  willing.     Til  see  in  a  minute. 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


vy\ 


You're  the  voung  fellows  the  sheriff  told  me  about,  I 
guess,  ain't  ye?" 

"I  think  likely,"  replied  Claude.  "A  sheriff  and 
his  party  stopped  with  us  one  ni;j;ht  at  Baker  Lake,  and 
started  for  this  place  the  next  morning,  and  we  have 
neither  seen  no'  heard  from  him  since.     Where  is  he 


?" 


one  down  the  Alb.guash." 


now 

"The  dickens  he  has!  He  told  us  he  was  going 
back  to  Moosehead  Lake.     That  is  Canny." 

"  Wall,  he  didn't  catch  the  birds  he  was  after." 

"  Kow  was  that  ? " 

"Great  Caisar's  ghost,  Claude  !  are  you  going  to  talk 
here  all  night,  and  this  crowd  starving :  "  protested 
Foster.  "  Now.  ray  good  man,  order  our  dinner  tirst, 
and  then  I  am  willing  to  hear  you  talk  until  it  is  ready. 
But  business  first,  and  pleasure  afterwards,  especially 
on  this  occasion." 

"All  right.  Walk  in,  gentlemen,  and  make  your- 
selves to  heme,  and  I'll  speak  to  my  woman  about  the 
dinner." 

Mr.  Gurney  led  the  way  into  the  house,  and,  telling 
the  boys  to  sit  down,  shuffled  away  to  see  about  their 

dinner. 

"  So  it  f.eems  the  coiners  gave  the  sheriff  the  slip," 

remarked  Claude. 

"  It  beats  the  Dutch,"  replied  Charlie.  "Those  fel- 
lows have  great  luck." 

"  When  the  boss  comes  b^ck,  we  will  buzz  him,"  said 
Robbins,  "a     .  find  out  how  they  escaped  the  officers." 

Mr.  Gurney  scon   made  his  appearance  again,  and 


lO.-i 


up  tJic  XortJi  BraiicJ:. 


Claude    asked  hiui   if  he  had  seen   anything  of    their 

boats. 

"  Wliat  kind  o'  lookinj:^  boats  were  they  ?  " 
Claude  gave  him  a  description   of  them,  and,  when 
he  had  finished,  their  host  said  :  — 

"  I  have  got  two  o'  those  boats  here  now ;  the  other 
one,  the  fellows  went  away  in." 

"How  did  they  come  to   leave  two  of  them  here? 
Are  thv.y  all  right?"  inquired  Maynard. 

"Yaas,  they're  all  right.     They  tried  to  sell  them  to 
me,  but,  gosh  darn  it,  I  didn't  believe   they  come  by 
tnem    honestly,    and    I    wouldn't   buy  'em.      I    kinder 
thought  the  owners  would  turn  up  before  long,  and   I 
couldn't  just  exactly  understand  how  two    men  came 
to  be  travelling  through  this  country  with  three  boats." 
"  How  long  were  the  men  here  ?  "  asked  Robbins. 
"Two    nights    and    a  day.     I'hey  came  here    about 
seven  o'clock,  and  said  they  wanted  to  stay  over  night. 
I  didn't  like  the  looks  of  'em  very  well,  but  I  told  'em 
I   would   put   'em   up.     The    next  morning,   they  bar- 
gained for  some  supplies,  and  I   hauled  'em  across  to 
the  St.  John,  and  the  men  showed  me   the  boats,  and 
wanted   to  sell  'em,  but  I  wouldn't  buy.     Then    they 
talked   by  themselves    awhile,  and    the    tall   one    said 
thev'd   like   to   get    the  boats  stored    a  month  or  six 
\veeks,  and    then   they'd  come   back   and  git  'em.      I 
told  'em  all  right,  and  we  loaded  'em  on  the  team,  and 
they  came  back  with  me  to  get  some  pork,  which  tl.ey 
forgot   when    I    put    up    the    rest    of   the  supplies  for 
them.     It  was  most  night  when  we  got  home,  and  they 
concluded  they'd  stay  here.     I  weighed  out  the  pork 


> 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


100 


4 


that  ni-ht,  twentv-five  pminds,  and  we  figured  up  what 
thev  owed  me,  and  it  came  to  fifteen  doHars.  Ikit.  darn 
'cm  thev  didn't  pav  it.  The  little  one  was  gom'  ter, 
and  the 'tall  one  says,  '  Oh,  let  it  go  till  mornm',  when 
we  pav  for  our  keepin',  and  then  we'll  settle  the  hull 
bill'  'wall,  do  yer  believe  it,  in  the  mornm',  they 
didn't  make  their  appearance  at  -rub  time,  and  hang 
me  if  they  hadn't  cleared  out,  and  taken  the  pork  with 
'em   and  never  paid  me  a  cent,  consarn  'em  !" 

-That's  just  like  them,"  put  in  Wingate.      "Ihey 
^vould  be  sure  to  beat  you,  if  they  could." 

"Where  did  you  say  the  two  boats  were  ?  "  mquired 

Le  Roy. 

"Out'n  the  barn." 

"Let's  go  out  and  take  a  look  at  them,"  proposed 

Claude,  "  and  see  if  they  are  all  right." 

The  party  adjourned  to  the  barn,  and  found  the 
Petrel  and  Daisy,  in  as  good  order  as  when  they  had 
been  stolen,  and  glad  enough  they  were  at  this  streak 

of  good  luck.  ,    ,^ 

"  1  suppose  we  shall  never  see  the  Swallow  again, 

said  St.  Clair,  "but  we  are  very  fortunate  to  get  back 

two  of  them.     It's   a  wonder  the   scoundrels  did  not 

stave  or  burn  them  up."  _        ^^ 

"Did   those   rascals    say  where   they  were  going? 

queried  Foster.  ^^ 

"  No,  thev  didn't  talk  much,  only  to  themselves. 
"How  lo'ng  hid   they  been   gone  when   the   sheriff 

came  ?  "  asked  Drake. 

"  -Bout  half  a  viay.     The   sheriff  and   his  party  got 

here    at    noon,    and    inquired  'bout  the   men.     I   told 


200 


Up  the  North  Branch, 


him  all  I  knew  'bout  ihcm,  which  wasn't  much,  got  his 
party  some  dinner,  and  in  the  afternoon  they  hired  a 
bateau  of  me,  and  started  down  the  Allnguash,  in 
hopes  to  get  ahead  of  those  scamps,  and  catch  'cm." 

♦•Would  there  be  any  chance  for  it?"  questioned 
Wood. 

•'  Sartinly.  The  sheriff  didn't  have  as  far  to  go. 
And  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  he  headed  'em  of!." 

"  Will  he  come  back  this  way  ?  "  inquired  Claude. 

"  Guess  not.  He  told  me,  if  he  caught  the  scoun- 
drels, he  should  keep  on  to  Jort  Kent,  and  take  the 
stage  to  Caribou,  where  he  would  strike  the  railroad. 
If  he  did  this,  he  promised  to  hire  a  man  to  bring  the 
boats  back." 

"  That's  a   queer  way  to  figure,"  remarked  Wingate. 

"  At  Fort  Kent  he  would  be  within  twenty  milts  of  the 

railroad  at  Edmundston,  and  Caribou  is  twice  as  far." 

"  But  Edmundston  is  in  the  Provinces,  and  the  law 

might  have  something  to  do  wilh  his  action,"  suggested 

Claude. 

*'  If  there  is  any  chu.  ^.  of  the  StvaUow  coming  back 
here,"  declared  Maynard,  "the  thing  for  this  crowd  to 
do  is  tc  stop  here  a  reasonable  time,  and  see  if  we  can 
recover  her." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Claude. 

"  How  soon  do  you  expect  the  boats,  Mr.  Gurney  ?  " 
inquired  Le  Roy. 

"  Wall,  it's  hard  tellin'.  But  I  should  say  they  orter 
be  here  by  the  first  of  next  week." 

"  Could  you  board  us  awhile,  Mr.  Gurney  ? "  asked 
Claude. 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


201 


"Wall,  I  dunno.  I  guess  so.  I'll  see  what  my 
woman  says  to-night,  and  let  ye  know  in  the  mornin'." 

"  Is  there  uny  game  about  here  ?  "  questioned  Wood. 

"Slathers  of  it.  Deer,  b'ar,  and  moose,  and  the 
caribou  are  as  thick  as  sheep,  over  on  a  bog,  a  few 
miles  from  here." 

"  How  about  partridges  ? "  added  Drake. 

"  Lots  of  'em.  So  tame  you  can  knock  'em  over 
with  a  stick.'* 

"  We  raised  two  flocks  this  morning,  and  they  flew 
away  before  we  could  get  a  shot  at  them,"  declared 
Wood.     "  They  were  as  wild  as  hawks." 

"They  were  not  Mr.  Gurney's  kind,"  laughed  Fos- 
ter. 

Just  then  a  horn  sent  forth  ^wo  or  three  soul-stirring 
toots,  and  the  landlord  turned  toward  the  house. 
"  That's  to  let  ye  know  dinner's  ready,"  he  explained. 

The  party  needed  no  second  summons,  but  followed 
their  host  to  the  kitchen,  where  they  washed,  and  then 
sat  down  to  the  table,  on  which  was  spread  cold  roast 
lamb,  hot  baked  beans,  potatoes,  and  canned  corn, 
Indian  and  flour  bread,  and  tea  all  poured  out,  a  cup- 
ful to  each  plate.  A  large  dish  of  raspberries  com- 
pleted the  viands  in  sight. 

It  was  half  past  two  when  the  boys  sat  down,  and,  as 
they  had  not  had  what  Foster  called  a  "  square  meal "  for 
a  long  lime,  they  took  hold  with  a  will.  There  was  no 
one  to  wait  on  the  table,  and  they  helped  themselves. 
Only  when  any  article  of  food  was  all  eaten,  a  lady, 
whom  the  boys  found  out  afterward  was  "  my  woman," 
would  come  in  and  replenish  it,  and  even  this  service 


202 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


1 

w 

I.    » 

t  ' 


kept  her  bu>y  for  some  lime.  Miticc  pie  and  dough- 
nuts were  added  for  dessert,  and  when  the  parly  arose 
from  the  table  Chiude  fell  it  to  be  necessary  to  ex- 
plain to  Mr.  Gurney  that  they  did  not  eat  as  much  at 
every  meal,  and  told  him  that  they  would  not  want  any 

supper. 

They  strolled  outdoors  and  sat  down  in  the  shade, 
and  Mr.  Gurney  gave  them  a  good  idea  of  the  country, 
and  where  they  might  expect  to  shoot  large  game,  and 
advised  them  to  go  up  the  Allagup^h  before  they  went 
away,  telUng  them  that  he  knew  th.  •  would  enjoy  it. 

Claude  said  that  they  would  see  i  the  Swallow  was 
brought  back,  and,  if  they  recovered  the  boat,  perhaps 
they  would  take  his  advice. 

About  four  o'clock  they  all  went  down  to  the  lake 
and  had  a  bath,  and  went  back  to  the  house  feeling  a 
hundred  per  cent,  belter.  They  found  some  Maine 
papers  two  or  three  weeks  old,  and  they  were  as  glad 
to  read  them  as  if  they  had  been  Boston  dailies  fresh 
from  the  press.  It  was  all  of  a  month  since  they  had 
seen  a  newspaper. 

That  night  they  retired  early,  r^nd  had  a  refreshing 
sleep,  and  when  they  awoke  Friday  morning  .  like 
new  beings.  I'heir  lameness  and  soreness  were  all  gone, 
and  they  were  ready  for  anything  in  the  way  of  sport 
after  they  had  eaten  breakfast. 

Learning,  however,  from  \\x.  Gurney  that  raspber- 
ries were  thick  but  a  short  distance  from  thr  house, 
they  ail  started  out  on  a  berrying  expedition,  and 
returned  a  little  after  twelve  with  about  tiflten  quarts 
of  this  delicious  fruit,  and  Mrs.  Gurney  told  them  she 


^ 


A  Bi-nr  Hunt. 


•20f 


would  use  some  of  ihe  beriics  in  making  pies  the  next 
day,  to  p:iy  ihem  for  iheir  trouble. 

In  the  afternoon  they  look  their  fishing-rods  and 
»^uns,  and,  borrowing  a  bateau  from  Mr.  Gurney,  that 
thev  might  all  be  together,  went  up  the  pond  two  or 
three  miles,  to  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream,  and  captured 
sixty-odd  trout ;  they  did  not  get  back  to  the  landing 
until  seven  o'clock,  and  found  supper  had  been  waiting 
for  them  an  hour. 

They  turned  their  trout  over  to  their  host,  and  he 
promised  to  have  them  cooked  for  their  breakfast  the 
next  morning,  and  Claude  told  him  they  would  try  and 
not  be  so  late  to  supper  again. 

While  they  were  eating  breakfast  Saturday,  Mr. 
Gurney  came  in  to  see  them,  and  informed  them  that  a 
bear  had  killed  one  of  his  best  sheep  during  the  night, 
and  eaten  it  more  than  half  up. 

*'  I'm  going  after  him  this  morning,"  said  their  host, 
and  there  was  blood  in   his  eye  when  he  spoke,  **  and 
thought  some  of  yer  might  like  ter  go  with  me." 
"  I'm  your  man,  for  one,"  declared  Wingate. 
"And  I,"  '*And  I,"  spoke  up  the  others. 
•'  Then,  I'll  just  have  the  woman  put  up  a  little  lunch, 
and  we'll  get  away  at  once,  for  we  may  not  get  back 
till  night." 

While  he  was  attending  to  the  lunch,  the  boys 
brought  out  their  guns  and  rifles,  taking  what  shells 
they  considered  necessary. 

In  a  few  moments  their  host  appeared,  saying,  *'  As 
all  of  ye  are  goin",  and  yc're  all  armed,  I  won't  take  my 
rifle,  but  '11  carry  the  lunch  and  do  the  trackin'." 


204 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


;i  i 


^■i 


Mr.  Gurney  led  the  way  to  tlie  barnyard,  atid 
slioued  the  boys  where  Bruin  had  captured  his  mutton, 
and  then,  getting  on  the  trail,  started  after  the  bear, 
the  young  hunters  following,  but  making  no  con  .ersa- 
tion,  for  the  leader  of  the  hunt  thought  the  bear  not  a 
great  way  off. 

The  trail  led  out  back  of  the  house  for  half  a  mile, 
and  then  turned  north  toward  the  road.  They  saw 
from  time  to  time  wh^re  the  bear  had  stopped  and 
tried  his  claws  on  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  Mr.  Gurney 
told  the- boys  the  bear  was  a  large  one. 

"We  are  good  for  him,"  whispered  Claude,  "if  he's 
as  large  as  an  elephant." 

They  came  out  on  the  road  by  some  raspberry 
bushes,  and  they  saw  that  the  bear  had  taken  his 
dessert  at  this  place,  many  of  the  bushes  being  trodden 
down  and  entirely  stripped  of  their  fruit. 

After  eati"g  what  berries  he  wanted,  Bruin  had 
started  along  the  road,  as  his  tracks  showed,  toward 
the  St.  John  River,  and  Mr.  Gurney  thought  the  beat 
was  not  a  great  distance  ahead  of  them,  and  cautioned 
the  boyr  against  making  unnecessary  noise. 

The  party  followed  on  the  t-ail  as  fast  as  possible, 
but  it  was  warm  work,  for  as  the  sun  climbed  higher 
up  the  heavens  it  sent  forth  a  scorching  heat,  and 
already  the  boys  were  bathed  in  perspiration. 

Gurney  strode  onward  with  a  long,  loping  gait,  that 
put  the  boys  upon  their  mettle  to  keep  anywhere  near 
him,  and  he  stopped  occasionally  for  them  to  close  up 
with  him.  .  . 

"  I    should  as  lief  follow   a  steam-engine   as  you/* 


%-m 


A  Bear  Hunt, 


205 


puffed  Claude,  during  one  of  these  halts,  for,  although 
the  senior  member  of  the  Lake  and  Forest  Club  was  a 
good  pedestrian,  he  couldn't  begin  to  make  a  showir.g 
in  that  line  with  the  backwoodsman. 

*^  I'm  walkin*  slow  now,  so  you  fellers  can  keep  up 
with  me,  but,  if  you  want  to  see  me  walk  a  little,  I'll 
show  you  some  day  what  I  can  do." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself,"  remarked  Wingate,  laugh- 
in<^;  "  we'll  take  your  word  for  it." 

At  a  distance  of  about  two  miles  from  Long  Lake, 
the  trail  turned  sharply  toward  the  north  again. 

"The  old  beggar  is  thirsty,  and  is  heading  for  Moose 
Brook  to  get  a  drink,"  said  the  leader  of  the  chase. 
"We  ought  t3  catch  him  there." 

"  How  far  away  is  the  brook  ?  "  whispered  Claude. 

"Not  more'ii  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Just-  be  ready  ter 
shoot  if  we  get  an  eye  on  him,  for  it's  probable  he'll  run 
like  a  bull  calf  when  he  sees  us." 

The  party  now  proceeded  more  slowly,  and  with  the 
Utmost  caution,  Mr.  Gurney  tracking  the  bear  where 
the  boys  could  not  discern  a  single  sign  of  his  having 

passed. 

In  about  twenty  minutes,  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
brook;  and,  listening  carefully,  heard  a  noise  to  the 

right  of  them. 

Stealing  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  a  few  moments' 
travel  brought  them  in  sight  of  the  sheep-murderer,  who 
was  wallowing  in  the  water  like  a  dog. 

"There's  the  skunk  of  misery,"  whispered  the  guiclo  ; 
"give  him  Hail  Columbus,  boys !  " 

The  next  moment  the  bear  was  on  his  feet ;  and,  in- 


^ 


206 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


stead  of  "running  like  a  bull  calf,"  he  charged  scjuarely 
into  the  middle  of  the  party,  knocking  down  three  or 
four  of  them,  and,  snai:)ping  at  the  astonished  (lurney, 
v.ho  h.ad  never  known  a  bear  to  act  in  th.it  manner 
before,  took  a  piece  out  of  the  calf  of  his  left  leg,  as 
larjre  as  a  silver  dollar  ;  and  then,  rearing  up,  grabbed 
him  with  his  fore  paws. 

Wood,  Drake,  and  Le  Roy  all  went  down  in  a  heap 
from  the  effect  of  Bniin's  charge  ;  and,  the  moment 
they  could  get  on  their  feet,  they  put  a  safe  distance 
between. themselves  and  the  infuriated  animal. 

But  the  others  rallied  to  the  aid  of  Gurney,  who  was 
getting  harshly  treated,  and,  watching  their  chances,  f(r 
it  was  dangerous  shooting  on  account  of  the  bear  and 
the  guide  being  in  such  close  intimacy,  finally  put 
bullets  enough  into  Bruin   to  make  him   give     :p  the 

ghost. 

As  a  western  man  would  say,  Gurney  had  decidedly 
the  worst  of  the  scrimmage;  for,  bes'.'.e  losing  a  piece 
out  of  his  leg,  he  had  been  badly  scratched  and 
squeezed,  and  would  most  certainly  have  been  killed 
had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  service  rendered  him  by 
his  young  friends. 

Like  many  of  his  class,  Gurney  had  always  had  a 
great  contempt  for  bears,  especially  at  the  idea  of  their 
being  dangerous,  but,  as  an  experienced  old  bear- 
hunter,  who  had  killed  and  trapped  nearly  fifty,  once 
told  me,  "  you  never  can  tell  just  what  a  bear  is  going 
to  do  until  he  does  it." 

"  Consarn  his  uglv  pictur,"  remarked  Gurney,  as  he 
sat  down  on  the  animal's  carcass,  and  examined  his 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


20: 


wounds;  "he's  given  me  a  chaw  in'  and  scratchin'  that 
I  sha'n't  get  over  for  a  week.  You  boys  have  done  me 
a  good  turn,  and  I  sha'n't  forget  it." 

Claude  took  his  handkerchief,  and  bound  it  around 
Gurney's  leg,  and  then  helped  him  limp  to  the  brook, 
where  he  washed  the  blood  off  his  face  and  arms. 

"We  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  ourselves,"  acknowl- 
edged Claude,  "  that  we  didn't  kill  him  the  first  time 
we    fired.     He    was   not   over   three    rods   away  from 

us." 

"Probably  some  of  us  did  hit  him,"  replied  M.ay- 

nnrd,  "  hvS.  not  in  r  -.y  vital  part." 

"  I  can  swear  that  ne  had  vitality  enough  when  he 
charged  on  us,"  added  St.  Clair,  dryly. 

Thev  now  returned  10  the  bear,  and,  upon  looking 
him  ever,  found  that  he  had  ten  bullet  holes  in  his 
hide  ;  which  was  proof  that  some  of  the  shots  from 
their  first  fire  had  not  been  lost  upon  him. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  walk  home,  Mr.  Gurney  ?  " 
inquired  Claude.  "If  you  can't,  we'll  rig  up  some 
kind  of  a  stretcher,  and  carry  you." 

"  Thunderation  !  I  guess  I  can  walk,  but,"  with  an 
attempt  at  humor,  "  I  guess  you  can  distance  me  goin* 
back." 

Le  Roy,  Wood,  and  Drake  now  came  up,  lookii  _, 
rather  sheepish. 

"  Had  a  sudden  call  to  business,  didn't  you,  Dave  ?  " 
queried  St.  Clair,  a  little  roguishly.  "  You'll  find  your 
gun  over  there  in  the  bushes.  You  were  in  such  a 
huiry  you  forgot  to  take  it." 

"Well,   I    was   in   a   hurry,"    acknowledged   Wood. 


£08 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


't 


"  After  that  great  brute  knocked  me  over,  I  thuuglit 
the  sooner  I  got  beyond  his  reach,  the  better." 

"  W'lat  was  the  matter  with  you.  Tommy  ?  "  laugh- 
ingly questioned  Claude  ;  "  I  never  saw  you  show  the 
white  feather  before." 

"I  expect  I  caught  the  panic  froir.  those  two 
cowards,"  replied  Le  Roy,  very  red  in  the  face.  "  You 
won't  catch  me  running  from  danger  again." 

"  That's  right,  lay  it  all  on  us,"  said  Drake.  "  You 
ran  farther  than  either  of  us." 

"  That  is  because  I  am  a  better  runner,'^  answered 

Le  Roy. 

"Don't  you  feel  bad,  young  man,"  remarked  Mr. 
Gurney  ;  *'  when  I  saw  that  b'ar  tryin'  to  lap  my  face, 
I'd  'a'  run  myself  if  I'd  had  a  chance." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  bear  ?  "  queried 

Wood. 

*'  Carry  him  to  the  farm,"  answered  Claude. 

"  My  stars !  "  exclaimed  Drake.    "  He's  awful  heavy." 

"  He's  a  big  un,"  added  Gurney.  "  I'd  only  tote 
him  out  to  the  road,  for  he'll  weigh  nigh  outer  six  hun- 
dred. Then  I'll  hitch  up  a  boss  this  afternoon,  and 
you  can  come  and  get  him." 

Some  of  the  boys  were  not  sorry  to  avoid  carrying 
the  bear  two  miles,  and,  taking  the  g':ide's  advice,  they, 
not  without  considerable  labor,  lugged  him  out  to  the 
road  ;  and,  after  covering  him  with  boughs,  the  party, 
who  were  now  hungry,  although  it  was  only  ten  o'cIock, 
ate  the  lunch  Gurney  had  brought,  and  then  started 
for  the  farm,  accommodating  their  pace  to  that  of  their 
host,  who  could  only  liobble  slowly. 


A  Pear  IIiiNt. 


•201) 


"  When  we  get  to  the  house,"  said  (nirney,  "  I've 
got  suinthiii'  that  I'll  put  on  my  leg,  that'll  make  it  feel 
better." 

"  Don't  you  have  any  man  but  yourself  around  the 
farm  ?  "  inquired  Claude. 

"Yes,  I've  a  young  Frenchman  hclpin'  me.  His 
name  is  Dan  Moir.  He's  gone  to  Ashland,  but  he'll 
be  back  Sunday." 

It  was  a  little  after  twelve  when  thev  reached  the 
house,  and  the  boys  wa  *id  and  then  carried  chairs  out- 
doors, and  sat  down  for  a  rest,  while  the  wounded  man 
hobbled  off  to  order  dinner,  and  take  care  of  the 
wound  in   his  leg. 

While  the  boys  sat  chatting,  awaiting  the  call  to 
dinner,  St.  Clair  suddenly  burst  out  laughing,  and  his 
sides  fairly  shook  with  merriinent. 

'*  You  seem  to  be  feeling  funny,"  remarked  Claude. 
"  What  is  it  tickles  you,  Andrew  ?  " 

**  I  was  thinking  of  the  way  Wood  travelled  after  the 
bear  knocked  him  down,"  and  he  burst  into  another 
gale  of  laughter,  in  which  his  friends  joined. 

"  Oh,  yes,  laugh  away,"  cried  Wood ;  "  I  suppose  I 
never  shall  hear  the  last  of  that  bear." 

"Who  is  going  after  him  this  afternoon?"  inquired 
Claude. 

"  It  will  take  five  or  six  to  load  him  on  the  sled." 

"Sled,"  laughed  Drake.     "You  mean  wagon." 

"  No,  I  don't ;  I  mean  sled.  They  do  half  their 
hauling  around  here  on  a  sled." 

"  What,  in  summer  ?  " 

"Yes." 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


210  ^ 

-Z^^,  to  be  co,-,Mslc,u/-  put  i.>  Wood,  _'•  they  do 
their  \y.w\m'i  >"  "inter  on  wheels,  I  st;pposc. 

.  r„-,t    ,h.;   ..re    no,   consistent,"    returned   CK^uue, 
drvlv   ••  so  tliey  haul  on  sleds  in  uniter  also. 

"•11  Z,  for  one,"  agreed  Wingate,  and  al    the  others 
volunteered,  think,,,,  they  ,t,ight  ftnd  partr.dges,  or  see 

snrnt'thin'^  else  to  slioot. 

At  one'o'clock,  the  horn  tooted,  and  the  party  were 

on  iheir  feet  in  an  instant.  ,  •    i,  .  i  " 

"Tl„.y  don't  seen,  to  use  a  dinner-oell  ,n  tins  hotel, 

remark. d  Mavnard.  ., 

"  I  sl,ould  think  Gurney  wo-ld  hate  to  "-^  '-;;;. 
drink  so,"  spoke  up  Robbins,  as  they  .tart.d  ior  ih. 

''""Drink:"  exclain,ed  all  his  friends,  fairly  cotnlng  to 
a  standstill  in  their  astonishment. 

>  Yes,  drink.  Since  we've  been  here,  to  my  certan, 
knowled.^e,  she's  taken  a  horn  three  times  a  day,  and 
'rioto  escaped  quickly  thro-,.,;h.  .he  door  to  esca,e 
tlie  punishment  he  merited. 

"?ou  deserve  to  lose  your  dinner  for  that  remark 
you  made  outside,"  laughed  Maynard  when  they  were 

QPTted  at  the  table.  .       , 

Fo  dessert,  they  had  some  of  the  raspbero'  p.es  UkU 
..mv  won,an"  had  pro.nised  them,  and  the  boys  xoled 

"Tl.:rrn:oofLeKoy,nrake,a,K,Wocdchang^ 
,hiv  minds  and  went  f^shi.  ;,  while  the  others  of  the 
nirtv  went  after  the  bear. 

'  cLudc  and  his  companions  returned  first,  and  found 
Gurney  busy  building  a  fire  outdoors  over  hts  bean- 


A  Jhar  Hunt. 


211 


llu 


hole,  'o  cook  the  beans  in  that  night.  He  went  to  tlie 
barn  anH  helped  them  hang  up  tiie  bear,  and  said  he 
would  skin  il  in  the  morning. 

Ai  six  o'clock  the  ti.shermen  returned  with  twenty 
trout,  most  of  them  under  a  pound  in  weigl't. 

Le  Roy  told  the  friends  who  had  not  been  with  him 
that,  while  his  two  companions  and  himself  had  been  on 
shore,  they  had  seen  a  bobcat,  and  they  had  sto  ~ed  it, 
not  having  their  guns,  but  it  had  escaped  them. 

Sunday  was  passed  quietly  about  the  house,  the  boys 
taking  the  opp  rtunity  to  mend  their  clothing  and  do 
a  little  washing. 

They  talked  wuii  Mr.  Guiney  about  the  stores  they 
needed,  and  he  promised  to  let  them  have  anything 
they  wanted  that  he  had  on  hand.  He  gave  them  a 
great  deal  of  information  about  their  future  course 
down  the  St.  John  River,  and  gave  them  the  names  of 
several  farmers  who  lived  along  the  stream,  from  whom 
they  could  purchase  some  articles  of  food,  and  who 
would  probably  board  them  a  short  time,  if  they  became 
tired  of  camping  out. 

The  young  Frenchman  returned  during  the  day,  and 
gave  the  boys  an  interesting  account'of  his  trip  to  Ash- 
land, and  brought  a  few  newspapers,  which  tiie  boys 
eagerly  devoured  in  a  literary  sense. 

Monday  was  a  showery  day,  and  the  party  kept  to 
the  house  the  most  of  the  time,  as  the  rain  was  very 
heavy  during  the  showers.  About  four  o'clock,  two 
men  appeared  with  Mr.  Gurncy's  batepu  and  the  Swal- 
low, and  the  boys  ware  glad  enough  to  see  their  boat 
once  more. 


w\ 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


"e 


■"^H  f 


V| 


212 

,       ff-nauhelher  he  h.d  captured  the  men,  and  U.e 
:::;:!:u:L:^te„  hired  ,obnns,.cU  the  boats  gave 

reached  the  nrouth  of  the  ^^^^^ ^.^JZm 
of  the  coiners,  ^^^J^^^^,  concluded  to 
men  xvere  ahead  or  bdnncl,  concealed  their 

.vait  half  a  day.  and  then  go  on  he,  nce^^  ^^^^ 
bateau,-  and,  after  xvatting  a  hule  over 

the  coiners  coming  down  the  ru  or. 

S,.  moment  t,,eW^  wad  passe. ^tl. 

his  party  launched  the  ^;^^"-f">  "     ^^^  j^  „„ded  on  the 
and  came  up  uuh  the  boa    J"*"^^'""^"  i,,^^^   ^ad 

Canadian    side  of   the    ;'-^-  ";;;;',,  ,"  p,,,„,a. 
beaded  for  the  mon.cnt  they  f°^'"^'  ^'^   ,\,P,  ,„,ae 
'11,,.  sheriff's  force  overawed  them,  anu  ui  , 

teau      They  stopped  at  a  Mr.  savaj,     , 

Ke,U  Imi  c'ibou,  instead  of  running  down  .he  river 

'"•r^rn'frwho  told  the  story  was  wording  for  Savage 
,  !he  tim"  and  the  siieriff  had  hired  him  to  return  tiic 

'°tL' da"be.o';:te  was  to  start,  a  man  had  come  to 
Sati  s'vho  1  coming  up  on  the  AUa.^uash  ev.W- 


A  Bear  Hunt. 


218 


and 


inij,  and  Smith  had  hired  the  explcrer,  whose  name  was 
Drown,  to  help  him  get  the  boats  back.  The  SwalloK^ 
was  so  light  that  they  had  brought  her  the  nio:,.  of  the 
way  in  the  bateau,  as  they  found  it  bothered  them  to 
tow  the  smaller  boat.  The  sheriff  had  only  paid  for 
returning  the  bateau,  and  the  boys  settled  with  Mr. 
Smith  for  bringing  back  the  Swallow. 

Strange  to  say,  she  had  not  been  injured  any,  with 
the  exception  of  the  paint  being  scratched  a  little,  and 
this  damage  could  easily  be  made  good. 

That  evening  the  boys  had  a  talk  over  their  future 
movements,  and  concluded  that,  as  they  liked  pretty 
well  where  they  were,  they  would  stay  at  the  Depot 
Farm  until  the  ist  of  September,  more  especially  as 
the  flies  and  mosquitoes  were  uncomfortably  thick  in 

the  woods. 

There  was  a  good  chance  to  make  excursions  from 
where  they  were,  and  they  passed  the  following  two 
weeks  in  fishing,  partridge-shooting,  and  berrying,  and 
made  trips  to  the  different  lakes  and  ponds  in  the  vicin- 
ity, sometimes  being  away  for  a  night  or  two. 

During  this  time  they  ran  across  considerable  large 
game,  but  did  not  kill  any  of  it,  for  as  their  host  fur- 
nished them  with  plenty  of  meat,  and  they  could  catch 
all  the  trout  they  wanted,  they  had  no  good  excuse  for 
breaking  the  law,  and  the  entire  party  were  firm  believ- 
ers in  the   Stale  laws  for  the  preservation  of  fish  and 


game 


While  boarding  at  the  Depot  Farm,  they  were  sur- 
prised one  day  by  visitors.  Three  young  fellows  from 
New  York,  each  with  a  guide  and  a  canoe,  slopped  at 


i 


[  'p  iJic  XortJi  Branch. 


214 

^^,^\^o^^^^,'i^^^^^?^^^-^^  Mr.  Gurney  mrnished  chcm. 
They  were  there  two  hours,  and  the  boys  had  a  pleas- 
ant chat  with  them,  exchanghig  their  experience,  with 

the  new-comers. 

The  New  Yorkers  were  much  pleased  with  the  boats 
belonging  to  the  boys,  and  Claude  told  them  he  consid- 
ered them  preferable  to  canoes. 

Mr.  Barton,  the  oldest  one  of  the  new-comers,  told 
the  bovs  they  were  going  down  the  Allaguash  and  St. 
Tohn  as  far  as  Edmundston,  and  then  they  would  take 
the  cars  for  home.  He  was  surprised  when  Claude  told 
him  that  his  party  did  not  expect  to  leave  for  home 
before  the  ist  of  November,  and  expressed  the  wish 
that  he  could  have  as  much  time  at  his  disposal. 

When  the  canoe  men  left,  the  boys  went  down  and 
saw  them  off,  and  wished  them  good  luck  on  the  rest  of 

their  trip. 

This  meeting  with  the  New  York  party  was  a  very 
pleasant  incident  in  their  stay  at  Depot  Farm.  lor  it 
seemed  to  them  for  a  short  time  that  they  were  in 
actual  communication  again  with  the  outside  world,  but 
the  departure  of  their  whilom  friends  dispelled  :t. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DOWN    RIVER A    BIG    FISH. 

Thf  party  prolonged  their  stay  at  Depot  Farm  until 
September  .,  spending  their  time  tnostly  on  short  ex- 
cursions, that  allowed  of  their  return.ng  to  the  house 
u"e  s°  ,ue  evening,  but  on  one  or  two  occasions  they 
were  awav  o\*ir  ni;,::;ht. 

On  the  evening  oi  the  hxst  day  of  August  while  they 
sat  yawning  around  a  smudge  outdoors,  Drake  suddenly 

'^'''^Fellows,  what  is  the  use  o£  staying  here  any  longer. 
We  have  seen  all  there  is  to  see  for  twenty  indes  about 
here  in  every  direction,  and,   if  we   do  not   intend  to 
settle  down  here  the  rest  of  our  lives,  and  become  bush- 
whackers, it  is  time  we  were  moving  on.     Did  you  know 
that  to-morrow  is  the  first  day  of  Sep  ember  ? 
"  Open  time  for  partri,  ges,"  interrupted  W  ood. 
^' Suppose    it   is  the   ist  of    September,"    answered 
back  Le  Roy.     "  We  are  having  a  good  time  here,  and 
the  flies  .nd  mosquitoes  are  growing  scarcer  every  day'. 
Besides,  what  do  vou  want  to  start  in  the  middle  of  the 
week  for?     To-morrow  is  Wednesday.     Let  us  wait  un- ^ 

'^"ang  waiting/'  rema^^^^ 

have  stopped  here  about  long  enough  -)--^f;  J^^  ^;^ 
can  just  as  well  start  on  Wednesday  as  any  other  day, 
and  I  go  in  for  packing  up  to-night. ' 

215 


ir 
I. 


a 


21(3 


Up  tJw  Xort/i  BrancJi. 


''  Suppose  we  lake  a  vote  on   it,"   proposed  Claude, 

"  That's  the  talk.     That's  the  way  to  settle  it,    cried 

several  of  the  party. 

The  vote  was  then  taken,  and  the  ballot  resulted  in 
six  votes  in  favor  of  leaving  the  farm  the  next  morning ; 
as  this  was  a  majority,  the  matter  was  decided. 

After  the  question  was  settled,  the  boys  began  at 
once  -to  make  preparations  to  resume  their  trip.  Every- 
thing was  packed  up,  and  Mr.  Gurney  was  asked  for 
his  bill,,  which  Wingate  settled,  and  he  also  paid  for 
the  stores,  that  had  been  selected  s«  /eral  days  before. 

According  to  Wingate 's  diary,  the  first  day  of  Sep- 
tember broke  fair  and  beautiful,  and  the  boys  were  up 
early,  and  had  finished  their  breakfast  at  six  o'clock. 

Then  the  stores  and  one  of  the  boats  were  loaded 
on  the  sled,  as  well  as  the  cooking  utensils,  and  the 
party  started  for  the  Seven  Islands  once  more. 

During  the  walk,  St.  Clair  shot  one  partridge,  May- 
nard  two,  and  Wingate  a  rabbit.  Several  fresh  deer 
and  caribou  tracks  were  seen,  but  the  animals  them- 
selves kept  out  of  sight. 

It  was  nearly  one  o'clock  when  the  team  arrived  at 
the  riverside,  and  Maynard  and  Le  Roy,  who  were  to 
cook  the  remainder  of  the  week,  proceeded  immediately 
to  get  dinner.  The  long  tramp  had  made  the  whole 
party  as  hungry  as  bears  in  the  spring,  and  several  oi 
the  members  assisted  the  cooks  all  they  could  in  the 
preparation  of  the  meal. 

The  young  Frenchman  had  come  with  the  load  that 
day,  as  Gurney  was  at  work  on  a  job  he  wished  to  fin- 


DoiuH  River. 


217 


ish  by  night,  but  he  told  the  boys  he  would  come  him- 
self  the  next  day  with  the  other  two  boats  so  as  to  see 
them  start,  and  say  "good-bye." 

During  the  afternoon,  Claude,  Maynard,  and  Le  Koy 
packed  up  the  stores  that  had  been  purchased  at  Depot 
Firm  in  the  most  compact  manner  possible  for  tra.is- 
nortaJion  by  boat,  after  laying  aside  what  would  be 
needed  at  the  Seven  Island  Camp,  as  the  boys  cabed 
iheir  camp  by  the  river. 

Drake,  Wood,  and  Foster  took  their  fishmg  rods, 
went  down  the  river  two  or  three  miles  to  fish  for  trout 
at  the  mouth  of  White's  Brook,  while  the  other  three 
of  the  party  started  across  the  river,  and  tramped 
along  the  road  a  mile  or  two  for  partridges. 

wlien  the  fishermen  reached  the  mouth  of  the  brook, 
they  concluded  to  go  on  shore,  and  follow  up  the 
stream  a  short  distance,  and  see  what  it  looked  like. 

They  took  the  boat  carefully  out  of  the  water,  and 
laid  it  on  a  smooth  place,  leaving  their  rods  and  other 

things  in  it. 

"  That  will  be  all  right  until  our  return,"  said  Foster, 
as    they   left    the    main    river,    and    started   up   the 

brook.  _ 

The  boys  travelled  along  on  me  north  side  for  a  Halt 
a  mile  or  more,  and  reached  a  point  where  it  forked, 
the  smaller  branch  coming  in  from  the  south  side. 
The  walking  along  the  stream  was  very  tiresome  on 
account  of  the  alders  and  other  bushes,  and,  as  they 
discovered  nothing  o£  special  interest,  they  did  not  go 

beyond  the  Forks.  .    . 

» I've  had  enough  of  it,"  declared  Foster,  "  and  it  is 


218 


J'p  the  North  Branch. 


half  past  three  now.     If  we.  are  goiii-  to  do  any  fishing, 
we  had  better  return." 

His  two  companions  made  no  objection  to  this,  and 
the  party  immediately  retraced  their  course  to  the  boat. 
When  they  came  in  sight  of  it,  they  were  much  sur- 
prised to  find  one  of  the  largest  bears  they  had  yet 
seen,  making  a  sort  of  personal  inventory  of  what  there 
was  in  the  boat. 

The  animal  stood  with  his  fore  feet  inside  the  Pdrcl 
and  his  hind  feet  on  the  ground,  and  was  sniffing  at 
everything*  the  boat  contained. 

*'  Holy  Moses  !  "  exclaimed  Foster,  in  an  undertone. 
"  Look  at  that  bear.     Isn't  he  a  rouser !  " 

"  Why,  he's  larger  than  the  one  we  killed  over  on  the 
Depot  Farm  road,"  asserted  Drake,  whose  face  began 
to  show  signs  of  uneasiness.  "  We  ought  not  to  get  any 
nearer  to  him,  for  we  have  nothing  to  shoot  witli." 

"  Confound  him  !  "  cried  Wood,  "  he'll  break  my  rod." 
And  indeed  one  of  the  bear's  great  feet  was  danger- 
ously near  it.  "  Fll  frighten  him  away,"  and,  picking 
up  a  fair-sized  stone,  Dave  let  drive  with  all  his 
strength,  and  with  so  true  an  aim  that,  as  the  bear 
raised  his  head,  the  rock  struck  him  fair  in  the  nose. 

Now,  a  bear's  nose  is  a  very  tender  part  of  the 
animal,  and  Dave's  well  directed  missile  not  only  hurt 
IJruin,  but  it  irritated  lim  to  such  an  extent  that  he  at 
once  left  the  boat,  but,  instead  of  running  away,  as 
Wood  hoped  for,  the  animal  turned  toward  thjm,  I'ul 
the  boys  ran  for  their  lives. 

They  were  not  more  than  thirty  feet  away  from  the 
boat   when   Wood  sent   the    stone   thumping   against 


Down  River. 


210 


Lruin's  nose,  and  \i  they  had  attempted  to  run  far  the 
bear  would  soon  have  overtaken  them,  and  one  of  their 
number  at  least  Nvould  have  paid  the  penalty  of  Dave  s 

indiscreet  act.  ,     ,    ,      ?    j 

Foster  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  three,  had  also  had 
,nore  experience  in  the  woo .s  than  either  of  his  com- 
panions, and  when  he  saw  that  the  enraged  animal 
ineant  to  attack  them  without  loss  of  time,  he  shouted 
"  Take  to  a  tree  ! "  and  he  quickly  ascended  a  smal 
white  birch,  Drake  going  into  a  small  poplar,  and  W  ood 

into  a  large  beech. 

Thev  were  scarcely  out  of  the  bear's  reach  when 
Druin  arrived  on  the  ground,  ru.hing  from  tree  to  tree, 
as  if  uncertain  which  one  of  the  boys  to  attack  first. 

"I  say,  Dave  !"  shouted  Foster,  "you're  in  a  bad 
fix.  The'  bear  can  climb  that  tree  you  are  in ;  you 
should  have  picked  out  a  small  one."  _ 

-Whv  didn't  you  say  so  before  ?  "  queried  Wood,  in 
a  terrifi'ed  tone.     "What  shall   I  do    if  he  comes  up 

after  me  ? "  „  i 

"Drop  from  that  tree  and  get  into  a  smaller  one,  only 

five    or   six   inches    through,    and    he    can't   climb   it. 

There's  just  the  tree  you  want,  that  maple   between 

Drake  and  myself." 

"  I  shall  break  my  neck  doing  that." 

"  Not  if  you  don't  go  any  higher  up  the  tree.     The 

limb  you  are    on  now  isn't  over  eight  feet  from    the 

ground."  , 

While  this  discussion  was  going  on  the  bear  made  up 
his  mind  that  Wood  was  the  only  one  of  the  party  he 
could  get  at,  and,  rearing  up  on  his  hind  feet,  he  threw 


220 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


his  fore  paws  around  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and  began  to 

ascend  it. 

"  Don't  be  frightened,  Dave,"  called  Foster,  cheerily. 
"Take  hold  of  ihe  limb  over  your  head,  and  walk  out 
on  the  lower  one  a  little  way.  When  the  bear  gets 
well  up  from  the  ground,  drop  and  run  for  the  tree  I 
showed  you." 

The  tree  clhnbed  by  Wood  was  the  nearest  to  the 
boat  of  any  that  the  boys  had  taken  refuge  in,  and  a 
thought  suggested  itself  to  Dave  as  he  watched  the 
progress  of  the  bear  toward  himself. 

"  I  say,  Billy  !  "  he  called  to  Foster,  "  if  I  can  drop 
out  of  this  tree  without  accident,  Fll  make  a  break  for 
the  boat,  and  row  back  to  camp,  and  bring  some  of  the 
f'^llows  down  here  with  their  rlHes." 

"The  best  thing  you  can  do.  If  you  can  accomplish 
it,  you  may  save  our  being  treed  all  night." 

"  Look  out  the  bear  don't  catch  you  before  you  get 
the  Petrel  into  the  water,"  v.-arned  Drake. 

The  bear  had  now  climbed  to  where  his  hind  feet 
were  about  on  a  level  with  the  limb  on  which  Wood 
was  standing,  and  Dave,  swinging  his  feet  from  off  the 
limb,  dropped  three  or  four  feet  without  letting  go  ot 
the  upper  limb,  and  when  it  had  bent  down  as  far  as  it 
would,  he  released  his  grip  and  dropped  to  the  ground, 
now  only  a  trifle  over  four  feet  beneath  him,  without 
hurting  himself  in  any  way. 

The  moment  he  struck  the  earth  he  scrambled  to  his 
feet  and  made  a  dash  for  the  boat. 
"  Lejr  it !  "  cried  Foster. 
"  Run   YOU  sardine  !  "  sliouted  Drake, 


r^__KW__ 


>AVK    ANU   THK    BEAR.       I'a^e  220. 


Dozvn  River. 


221 


but, 


e  bear  for  a  momeni., 
'""'Vdb.mds  down  the  tree,  and,  rushing  madly 
H^s^tXa  Iwl.  to  reins,  and  .Uuin  concU,d..d  he 

Hrur^tratKo-pf^r- 

that  l.ttle  feat,  for  ^^^^    ^°^',^  ^j^.^uncl,  would  twist 
.vouldbe  at  his  mercy  if  ^^^^^^^^  [,,,,  in,  and 

their  le^s  and  arms  around  the  trees  uic) 

'tr— "  !":.i.i-i,  »«i  ■■■"  """■="■  - '» 

mWway  between  the  two  boys,  appa.-mtly  to  thn>k 

"  ATtheTrees  the  two  unfortunates  were  in  were  not 
ovt  tw  n';  Lt  apart.  Bruin  did  not  need  any  othe 
member  of  his  family  to  help  Stan,    guard,  and  e^>- 

uently  thought  he  had  a  "  soft  snap.  ^^ 

•■This  is  interesting,  Foster,    remarked  D'  1^- 
onlvwish  I  had  been  tn  »»'=  s  plaee         a 
dead  trying  to  stand  with  one  foot  on  a  l.ttle 

tlie  other  on  nothing."  ^rJmlv 

..  You'll  have  to  bear  it,"  answered  Foster,  gnmly. 


222 


Up  tJic  Xorth  Bninch. 


"  Oh,  bite  your  tongue  !  A  fellow  that  would  joke  in 
the  situation  we  nre  in  W(  uld  joke  on  the  gallows.  How 
long  (\o  you  suppose  it  will  b(-   before  the  fellows  will 

get  here  ?  " 

"  Four  or  five  hours  !  " 

"Then  I  might  ju*^*  as  well  get  out  of  this  tree  now, 
for  I  ne  jr  can  stay  in  it  that  length  of  time." 

"Oh,  yes,  you  can.  A  fellow  never  can  tell  what  he 
can  do  until  he  tries.     Are  you  wearing  a  belt  to-day  ?  " 

"Yes." 

-  "  Is  it  "long  enough  to  go  aroun^'  vour  body  and  the 

tree  both  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  doubtful." 

"  Well,  try  it.  If  it  will  go  round  and  just  buckle 
into  the  first  hole,  it  will  prevent  your  falling  out  of  ib.e 
tree  if  you  become  exhausted." 

Drake  tried  his  companion's  suggestion,  and  was 
overjoyed  to  find  that  he  could  fasten  himself  to  his 
tr     in  the  manner  his  friend  had  spoken  of. 

"  Can  you  do  it  ?  "  queried  Foster. 

"  Yes.     But  it  is  a  tight  squ  jeze." 

"  Never  mind  that.  You  would  find  it  a  tighter 
squeeze  if  the  bear  once  got  his  fore  paws  around 
you.  He  would  break  your  ribs,  while  in  the  humor  he 
is  in  now,  as  easy  as  you  could  crush  an  eggshell." 

"  I  don't  intend  to  give  him  the  chance,"  replied 
Drake,  whose  courage  returned  when  he  began  to  feel 

safe. 

"  That's  the  talk,  Rob.  Keep  a  stiff  upper  lip.  The 
fellows  will  lose  no  lime  in  getting  here,  you  may 
depend.     And  if  Bruin  don't  get  over  his  mad,  and 


Doiv.i  River. 


223 


;;;;;7;;;:^.hey  con^e,  he  win  have  so.nelhiMg  bcuer 

vvnrth  fTcttini;  mad  about." 

W  hada  har<l  time  in  ,ct.in,  ■•  .ck  to  canjp  aU.n  , 
.ncUt  was  seven  0-clock  before  i,c  .eac.ed  the  lami- 
C  The  "unners  had  come  in,  brn-smg  back  fie 
;*t,iag«,  and  .upper  was  all  re...,  only  awa,t,ngt,>e 

return  of  the  fishermen  to  be  served. 

When  Wood  walked  up  to  the  can.pfire.  wh.ch  l.e 
did  before  his  friends  noticed  him,  his  exoted  appear- 
ance  at  once  suggested  tK.uble  _ 

"Whats  the  matter,  U     -•       ^"  '    •        „ 

ing  „  his  feet.  •'  Neither  of  .„e  boys  d-;;-^,  •'->?.- 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that.     They  are  treed  by  a  bear. 

"  Treed  by  a  oear  ?  " 

"Where?" 

"  How  was  it?"  .  , 

"  How  long  aso  ?  "  were  a  few  of  the  questions  that 

were  shot  at  D.ive  to  answer. 

Wood  explained  the  situ.ation  in  as  few  words  as 

^"Itrybody  was  anxious  to  tu.h  to  the  destrttction  of 
the  bear,  and,  had  the  other  two  boats  been  there,  the 
whole  party  woidd,  most  asiuredlv,  have  gone 

-What  is  best  to  do,  Claude  ?"  questioned  Maynnrd. 
"I  think  Charlie  and  1  had  better  return  u.th  Dave 
at  once,  and,  if  we  cannot  kill  the  bear  fngUeu  htm 
awav,  so  our  friends  may  be  released  from  the.r  n 
plea'sant  predicament.  There  is  no  fun  tn  roos.mg  >n  a 
tree  all  ni'»ht,  especially  a  small  one.  ,      , .. 

"  YcM  are  right,"  .eplied  Wood.     "  .^  Ultle  of  .t  went 

a  jrood  wav  with  me." 


2'24 


Up  the  NortJi  Branch. 


"You  will  need  a  lantern,  Claude,"  sugj^ested  Mny- 
nard.  "it  will  soon  be  dark,  and  you  may  pass  the 
mouth  of  the  stream  without  seeing  it,  if  you  do  not 
have  a  light." 

"  Yes,  I  will  take  one.  Now,  Charlie,  get  your  rifle, 
and  take  your  gun,  Dave,  if  you  wish  to  do  any  shoot- 
ing, and  we'll  be  off." 

"  Here's  the  lantern,"  said  Maynard,  "  and  it  is  full 
of  oil." 

"Don't  wait  supper  for  us,  fellows,"  called  back 
Claude,  as  the  rescuing  party  starte  .  on  their  errand 
of  mercy;  "eat  your  supper  now,  and  we  will  have  ours 
when  we  return." 

"Sit  on  the  middle  sea^,  Dave,  and  Charlie  and  I 
will  paddle,"  said  Claude,  as  the  Fetrel  started  down 
the  river. 

They  accomplished  about  three-quarters  of  the  dis- 
tance, and  then  it  became  so  dark  that  Wood  lit  the 
lantern.  They  kept  close  in  on  the  left-hand  side  of 
the  river,  and  occasionally  Wood  held  the  lantern  out 
to  see  where  they  were.  But,  in  spite  of  this,  they 
would  have  passed  the  spot  where  the  boys  had  landed, 
had  Foster  not  heard  them  talking,  and  called  to  them. 
"  I  say,  Claude,  is  that  you } " 

"  Yes  ;  and  Charlie  and  Dave  are  with  me.  Is  the 
bear  there  yet  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  can  hear  the  old  sinner,  but  I  can't  see  him. 
It  is  getting  awful  dark." 

The  boys  now  landed,  and  pulled  up  the  boat  far 
enough  to  keep  the  current  from  taking  her  auay. 
Claude  carried  the  lantern   and  his  Winchester  rifle, 


Down  River. 


225 


Charlie  had  his  rifle,  also  a  Winchester,  and  Dave  had 
his  double-barrel  gun,  loaded  with  buckshot. 

They  advanced  slowly,  in  battle  array,  but  the  bear 
began  to  smell  a  good-sized  mouse,  and,  before  the 
avengers  were  near  enough  to  fairly  see  him,  he  started 
into  the  woods,  and  not  one  of  the  party  obtained  a 
shot  at  him. 

Foster  and  Rob  heard  Bruin  leave,  and,  calling  to 
their  friends  not  to  fire,  they  cam:  down  from  the  trees 
where  they  had  been  perchea  so  long,  but  not  without 
difficulty,  they  were  so  cramped. 

"  Gracious  !  Let  me  ijtretch  my  legs,"  cried  Foster, 
as  he  took  a  few  steps  back  and  forth.  "  I  was  begin- 
ning to  grow  cold  also." 

"  So  was  I,"  added  Drake  ;  "  I  feel  real  chilly  now." 

'*  I  am  sorry  we  lost  the  bear,"  said  Charlie.  *'  If  I 
had  not  been  afraid  that  I  might  possibly  have  hit  one 
of  you,  I  should  have  sent  a  shot  after  him,  any  way." 

"  The  safest  thing  was  not  to  shoot,"  remarked 
Claude.  "  We  had  better  h^ve  the  bear  get  away  than 
send  a  bullet  into  Billy  or  Rob." 

"  Correct !  "  added  Drake.  "  I  don't  care  to  become 
a  target  for  you  fellows  to  shoot  at,  but  I  thank  you  all 
the  same  for  getting  me  out  of  the  scrape." 

"  So  do  I,"  chimed  in  Foster. 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  returned  Claude,  laughing ;  "  and 
now,  as  the  bear  has  gone,  we  had  better  go  too,  for  we 
shall  be  late  enough  in  getting  to  camp." 

The  boys  now  started  for  the  river,  and,  launchi:i:j 
the  boat,  began  their  homeward  journey.  They  made 
slow  progress,  on  account  of  the  current  and  the  dark- 


226 


Up  the  iVoi'th  Branch. 


^\ 


ness,  but  at  ten  o'clock  they  reached  the  landing  near 
the  camp,  where  their  friends  anxiously  awaited  them. 

"  Did  you  get  the  bear  ? "  queried  Maynard,  as  the 
bow  of  the  boat  grounded,  and  its  occupants  jumped 
on  shore. 

"  Are  the  boys  all  right  ?  "  inquired  St.  Clair. 

"The  fellows  are  all  O.  K.,  and  we  didn't  get  the 
bear,"  answered  Claude,  "  but  one  thing  we  did  get, 
and  that  was  a  mighty  good  appetite,  and,  the  sooner 
you  give  us  some  supper,  Frank,  the  better  we  shall 
like  it.". 

"You  can  have  it  at  once;  I've  kept  it  warm.  Come 
right  off,  and  let  Andrew  and  George  look  after  the 
boat." 

"  That  is  talking  business,"  said  Foster.  "  I'm  as 
hungry  as  a  wolf." 

While  the  late  comers  were  eating  supper,  a  large 
campfire  was  started,  and  around  this  all  the  party 
gathered.  After  the  meal  was  over,  the  different 
actors  in  the  afternoon's  adventures  had  to  tell  their 
stories  over  again,  and  it  was  well-nigh  midnight  when 
the  circle  broke  up  and  the  camp  became  quiet. 

About  noon  Thursday,  the  boys,  wlio  were  all  in 
camp,  heard  the  noise  of  the  team,  and  soon  Gurney 
made  his  appearance  with  the  boats.  They  were  un- 
loaded and  carried  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  and 
then  the  party  sat  down  to  dinner,  giving  Gurney  an 
invitation  to  eat  with  them. 

"Did  you  have  any  fun  yesterday,  boys?  "  inquired 
their  guest. 

"  Foster,  Drake,  and  Wood   had  all   they  wanted," 


Down  River, 


227 


declared  Le  Roy  ;  and  then  the  bear  story  was  told, 
much  to  the  amusement  of  Mr.  Gurney. 

"Bears  are  gettin'  pretty  thick  round  these  dig- 
gings," was  Mr.  Gurney's  comment  on  the  story. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  plenty  of  traps  at  the  farm," 
said  Claude. 

*'  No,  only  two,  but  I  mean  to  set  'em  both  soon  as  I 
can  get  time.  Bears'  pelts  are  worth  about  fifteen 
doUars  each,  and  then  you  git  a  bounty  for  every  one 
you  kill,  so  it  pays  to  trap  'em,  if  you  don't  have  to 
spend  too  much  time  over  it." 

"  I  wish  you  were  going  with  us,  Mr.  Gurney,"  said 
Wingate. 

"Ye  don't  wish  it  any  more'n  I  do.  I'd  like  nothin' 
better  than  to  go  clear  down  river  with  ye  ;  but  I  can't, 
so  there's  no  use  in  talkin'  of  it.  Shall  ye  be  up  this 
way  another  summer  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  it  likely,"  answered  Claude.  "This 
is  the  fourth  trip  we  have  made  to  the  Maine  woods, 
and  I  think  another  year  we  shall  strike  out  in  a  dif- 
ferent direction." 

"Wal,  I  enjoyed  yer  company  first  rate,  and  ye 
treated  me  like  white  men,  and,  if  ye  ever  do  get  this 
way  agin,  I  hope  we'll  meet." 

"  I  hope  we  shall,"  returned  Claude.  "  We  had  a 
very  nice  time  while  stopping  with  you." 

As  soon  as  the  party  had  finished  dinner,  everything 
was  packed  up  and  loaded  into  the  boats,  Mr.  Gurney 
lending  valuable  aid  ;  and  at  two  o'clock  the  boats 
started  down  river,  after  each  or.o  of  the  party  had 
given  a  handshake  to  their  backwootls  friend. 


'£  ^ 


.228 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


*'  Do  you  think  we  should  find  that  bear  in  the 
vicinity  where  he  treed  us  the  other  day,  Claude?" 
asked  Drake,  when  they  had  stopped  shouting  farewell 
to  Gurney. 

"  My  gracious,  no !  He  may  be  fifty  miles  from 
there  now." 

"How  far  shall  we  get  to-night,  Claude?"  inquired 
Foster. 

"That's  something  of  a  conundrum.  We  ought  to 
land  by  five  o'clock,  in  order  to  arrange  our  camp  for 
the  night.  My  idea  is  to  keep  on  till  that  hour,  and 
after  five  stop  at  the  first  desirable  camping  spot.  We 
ought  to  make  seven  or  eight  miles,  if  we  meet  with 
no  detention," 

They  found  very  good  water  during  the  afternoon, 
and  just  after  five  turned  a  bend  in  the  river,  and  on 
the  north  shore  they  noticed  a  very  good  place  for 
camping,  and  the  Petrel  was  run  in  there,  and  the  other 
boats  followed. 

The  ground  was  dry,  and  four  or  five  feet  above  the 
river,  with  plenty  of  suitable  firewood  near.  "  Looking 
for  a  place  to  camp,  Claude  ?  "  called  Le  Roy,  as  the 
Swallow  swung  in  to  the  side  of  the  river.  "  It  is  only 
ten  minutes  past  five." 

"  I  know  that,  Tommy  But  there  is  a  good  deal  to 
be  done  before  dark.  I  don't  think  we  will  find  a  bet- 
ter place  t'  an  this,  and  we  had  better  camp  here  to- 
night." 

"Come  in  here,  Robbins,"  called  Foster,  to  the 
coxswain  of  the  Daisy;  "\^  are  going  to  stop  here 
to-night." 


11 


i  n 


Down  River. 


220 


"All  right,  I'm  with  you,"  and  the  Vais^'  was  guided 
in,  beside  the  other  two  boats. 

Maynard  and  Le  Roy  cleared  a  place  for  their  fire^ 
and  began  getting  supper,  while  the  other  members  of 
the  pariy  unloaded  the  boats,  cut  a  huge  pile  of  wood, 
and  improvised  a  shelter  for  the  night.  The  evening 
was  fine,  and  the  night  promised  to  be  warm. 

"  Look  here,  Claude,"  said  Robbins,  when  the  party 
were  gathered  around  the  campfire  aicer  supper,  "why 
can't  you  conie  to  Florida,  and  see  me  next  year,  and 
we  will  go  on  a  camping-out  trip,  down  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  Slate.  I  know  you  would  enjoy  it,  and 
some  of  the  other  fellows  could  come  with  you.  The 
more,  the  merrier." 

"  Perhaps  we  might,"  b'^gan  Claude,  but  Foster  in- 
terrupted :  — 

"  Oh,  hang  Florida.  It  is  made  up  of  sand  banks, 
fleas,  alligators,  and  poor  oranges.  If  y(  vish  to  see 
a  country  worth  looking  at,  come  out  to  the  Pacific, 
and  see  California.  You  can  make  a  trip  out  there 
that  you  will  remembe;  for  a  lifetime,  and,  if  you 
bring  out  a  party,  I'll  go  camping  out  with  them." 

"That  shows  how  much  you  know  about  Florida, 
Bill  Foster,"  cried  Robbins,  indignantly.  "It  is  the 
finest  State  in  the  Union." 

"  When  all  the  others  are  out,"  interrupted  Foster. 

"  Don't  get  to  quarrelling  over  your  adopted  homes, 
you  two  bantams,"  said  Claude.  "  Florida  and  Cali- 
fornia both  possess  attractions  for  New  Englanders, 
and  perhaps  we  can  accept  both  invitations,  and  judge 
for  ourselves  which  State   we  would  like  best.      But 


* 

3 
S 


2.^0 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


i 


the  summer  would  not  be  a  very  good  lime  to  visit 
either." 

"  Come  in  the  winter,  then,"  suggested  Robbins. 

"As  1  told  Gurney,"  remarked  Claude,  "  we  have 
visited  Maine  four  times,  and  I  think  next  year  we  can 
try  some  other  place.  And,  if  I  can  get  any  cf  the 
boys  to  accompany  me,  I  will  come  down  and  see  you, 
Robbins,  and  we  will  try  fishing  and  hunting  a  month 
or  two  in  Florida.  Then,  the  next  year,  we  can  go  out 
and  visit  Foster,  and  see  what  he  has  to  show  us." 

"I  ^should  like  to  make  both  trips,  and  will,  if  I 
can,"  said  VVingate. 

"  Let's  have  it  understood,  then,"  proposed  Maynard, 
"  that,  instead  of  coming  to  Maine  in  summer,  we  wait 
until  winter,  and  visit  Florida." 

"  I  think  we  could  have  lots  of  fun  shooting  alliga- 
tors," said  Drake. 

"You  wouldn't  kill  one  in  ten  years,  '  laughed  Le 
Roy. 

Just  then  an  owl,  in  a  tree  near  them,  broke  out  with 
his  "Tu  whit!  tu  whit!  tu  whoo !  "  so  suddenly  that 
they  were  all  startled  and  sprang  to  their  feet,  but  in  £. 
moment  they  realized  that  the  owl  had  made  a  fool  of 
them,  and  they  had  a  good  laugh  at  it. 

As  it  was  nearly  ten  o'clock,  they  did  not  renew  the 
conversation,  but  scattered  their  fire,  and  turned  in  for 
the  night,  while  the  owl,  startled  by  the  noise  they 
made,  flew  away  to  some  distance,  and  did  not  cause 
them  any  further  annoyance. 

The  next  two  days,  the  navigation  was  more  difficult, 
they  meeting  with  rapids  quite  often,  some  of  which 


Doiv?i  River. 


231 


were  dangerous,  bui  by  constant  care  they  passed  them 
sifcly  and  at  four  o'clock  Saturday  afternoon  had 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Black  River,  where  they 
conckided  to  stop  until  Monday. 

They  camped  on  the  north  side  of  the  junction  of 
the  two  streams,  and,  as  it  looked  like  rain,  built  a 
camp  that  would  keep  them  dry,  in  the  event  of  a  storm. 
As  the  cooks  had  no  fish  on  hand  when  going  into 
camp  Saturday  afternoon,  Le  Roy  and  Robbins  took 
one  of  the  boats,  after  the  baggage  and  stores  had 
been  unloaded,  and  pulled  up  the  river  a  few  rods,  to 
the  foot  of  the  rapids. 

Anchoring  the  boat,  they  began  casting,  and  the  first 
trout  fell  to  Le  Roy.  It  weighed  two  pounds,  and 
when  Robbins  netted  it  he  found  besides  a  smaller 
fish,  that  weighed  about  half  a  pound.  He  had  never 
caught  one  like  it  before,  and  did  not  know  what  it 
\\7is.     It  was  a  very  handsome  fish,  and  light-colored. 

"I'd  like  to  know  if  this  fish  is  good  to  eat?" 
queried  Robbins,  as  he  took  it  from  the  net,  and  began 
to  examine  it. 

"  We  can  try  it  and  see ;  we'll  take  it  to  camp,  any- 
how. Let  me  have  it,"  and  Le  Roy  took  the  fish,  and, 
in  turn,  looked  it  over.  "  Did  you  notice  anything 
funny  about  this  fish,  George,"  placing  it  to  his  nose 
as  he  spoke. 

"  No.     What  is  it  ?  " 
"  My,  it  smells  like  a  cucumber." 
"  Get  out  with  your  nonsense." 
"  Smell  of  it  and  see,"  and  Le  Roy  passed  it  back  to 
his  friend. 


r'r 


232 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


m 


♦I 


"I'll  be  hanged  if  it  don't,  Tommy.  Do  you  sui> 
pose  it  tastes  like  a  cucumber,  after  it  is  cooi<ed  ?  " 

"  Give  it  up." 

"  Periiaps  Claude  will  know  what  it  is.  We  can  ask 
him  when  we  get  to  camp.  He  is  pretty  well  posted 
on  the  different  varieties  of  fish." 

For  an  hour  they  had  very  good  luck,  taking,  in  all, 
twenty-five  trout,  but  they  did  not  get  any  more  of  the 
"cucumber  fish,"  as  Robbins  called  them. 

"  You  paddle  down  to  camp,  and  let  me  troll,  will 
you,  Tonimy .? "  asked  Robbins.  '  I  wish  to  troll,  and 
see  if  I  can't  hook  a  big  fish." 

"  If  you  do,  you'll  break  your  rigging.  Your  rod  or 
line  is  not  heavy  enough  for  that  kind  of  fishing." 

"  I'll  take  the  risk,  any  way,  if  you  will  look  after  the 
boat." 

"  Of  course,  I  will,  if  you  are  bound  to  try  it ;  but  if 
you  break  your  rod,  don't  say  I  did  not  warn  you." 

"  That's  a  bright  remark,  Tommy.  I  am  not  in  the 
habit  of  laying  my  misfortunes  to  my  friends,"  and 
George  stood  up  and  made  a  cast,  and  began  reeling 
out  his  line  until  he  had  about  one  hundred  feet  out. 

Le  Roy  had  in  the  meantime  pulled  up  the  stone 
that  had  served  them  as  an  anchor,  and  unhitched  it 
from  their  line,  and,  taking  the  oars  instead  of  the  pad- 
dle, rowed  very  slowly,  as  there  was  a  smart  current. 

They  drifted  half  the  way  toward  camp,  without  Rob- 
bins getting  a  rise,  and  then  he  asked  Le  Roy  to  keep 
the  boat  stationary  while  he  reeled  in,  and  took  off  his 
extra  flies,  for  he  had  been  fishing  with  three  at  the 
rapids. 


Down  River. 


23J 


He  now  jjul  on  his  drop  tly,  a  piece  of  t  tail  of  a 
trout,  and,  casting  again,  allowed  his  line  to  i^n  out  as 
before,  while  Le  Roy  pulled  slowly  toward  camp. 
Just  opposite  the  landing,  Tommy  stopped  rowing  a 
few  moments,  calling  the  attention  of  Robbins  to  a 
musk-rat  on  the  opposite  shore,  and,  while  they  were 
watching  the  animal,  Robbins'  line  sank  under  the 
water  several  feet. 

"  He's  gone  into  his  hole,"  said  Le  Roy,  "let's  go  on 
shore  and  clean  our  fish  before  we  take  them  to  camp." 

"  All  right.     Wait  a  moment,  and  I'll  reel  up." 

Ashe  began  to  wind  in  his  line  he  found  that  he  had 
hooked  something,  but,  whether  a  fish  or  a  snag,  he  was 
in  doubt,  it  pulled  so  hard. 

"  My  gracious,  Tommy!  I've  hooked  either  a  whale 
or  a  snag;    I  can't  tell  which." 

•*  Perhaps  it's  another  centenarian  turtle,"  suggested 
Tommy,  laughing. 

Suddenly  the  line  slackened,  and  Robbins  quickly 
reeled  in  fifty  feet  of  it,  but  in  a  moment  more  his  reel 
began  to  whirl  rapidly  the  other  way,  and  the  fish  or 
whatever  was  on  the  hook  had  taken  a  hundred  feet 
more  of  the  line  before  George  dared  to  snub  him. 

"  It's  lucky  I  had  a  long  line,  or  1  should  have  lost  it 
then." 

"  You  have  hooked  a  big  fish,  George,  sure.  Hang 
on,  and  see  if  you  can't  get  near  enough  for  me  to  net 
him.  Reel  up  now,  and  I'll  back  the  boat  toward  the 
fish,  and  see  if  I  can't  help  you  some,"  and  Le  Roy, 
during  the  rest  of  the  battle,  manoeuvred  the  boat  to 
aid  his  friend. 


up  the  North  Branch. 


r 


"1\ 


It  was  over  half  an  hour,  duriiij;  uhicli  time  boih  of 
♦he  boys  worked  in  unis'^»n,  before  Robbi"  >  had  the  fish 
near  enough  for  Le  Ro)  to  attempt  to  net,  and,  when 
he  finally  had  the  net  under  the  monster,  he  came  near 
going  overboard  with  it. 

Just  as  Tommy  passed  the  net  under  the  trout,  as 
they  supposed  it  was,  they  heard  an  ominous  snap,  and 
the  third  joint  of  Robbins'  rod  broke  short  ofi.  Had 
it  happened  a  moment  before,  they  would  have  lost  the 
fish. 

The  ^captive  flopped  so  lively  after  Le  Roy  had 
turned  him  into  the  boat,  that  he  was  obliged  to  give 
the  fish  two  or  three  smart  raps  with  the  end  of  the  net 
handle,  for  fear  it  would  get  into  the  river  again. 

"  Great  Caesar's  ghost !  "  exclaimed  Robbins,  **  what 
a  fish !  I'll  bet  it  will  weigh  twenty-five  pounds.  It 
isn't  a  trout  either." 

"  Salmon,  I  guess,  and  it's  a  buster,"  and  Tommy's 
eyes  opened  wide  as  he  gazed  at  the  monster,  which 
was  the  largest  fish  that  had  ever  been  captured  by  any 
of  the  party. 

"  It's  your  turn  to  become  head  cook  to-morrow, 
To..imy,  and  you  must  bake  this  fish  for  our  Sunday's 
dinner.     It  will  make  enough  for  the  whole  party." 

"  I'll  stuff  it,"  replied  Le  Roy. 

"Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  you'll  stuff  part  of  it/*  an- 
swered Robbins,  pretending  not  to  understand. 

"Oh,  hold  your  mouth!  It's  got  so  now,  in  this 
crowd,  that  a  fellow  can't  make  a  remark  without  some 
jackass  trying  to  turn  it  into  a  pun.  It's  getting  alto- 
gether too  stale." 


Down  River, 


235 


"Arc  you  speaking  of  the  fish,  Tommy  ? " 

"I'liere  you  go  again,  you  goose." 

♦'  I'm  not  that  gender.     Try  again." 

"Oh,  shut  up.  I'm  going  in  now.  I  want  Claude 
to  see  these  two  strange  fish.  I  am  not  sure  now 
whether  that  big  one  is  a   salmon." 

"There  must  be  salmon  in  the  St.  Johfi,"  declared 
Robbins.  "  There  are  in  most  all  of  the  Canadian 
waters." 

Le  Roy  now  struck  out  with  his  oars,  and  in  a  few 
monienis  they  were  on  shore.  They  hauled  the  boat 
our,  and  George  went  to  the  camp,  a  few  rods  away, 
and  invited  the  rest  of  the  party  to  come  down  and  see 
the  big  fish  before  he  cleaned  it. 

"  You  don't  know  what  it  is  ? "  inquired  Claude,  as 
the  whole  party  started  for  the  riverside. 

"  No,"  answered  the  lucky  fisherman.  "  It  is  shaped 
something  like  a  salmon,  but  is  marked  more  like  a 
trout.  Then  we  caught  a  small,  light-colored  fish,  very 
pretty  loo,  that  smells  for  all  the  world  like  a  cucum- 
ber." 

"  You  should  have  christened  that  the  vegetable 
fish,"  laughed  Wingate. 

When  they  reached  the  riverside,  Le  Roy  had  the 
fish  all  spiead  out  in  a  line,  beginning  with  the  largest 
and  ending  with  the  smallest.  They  made  a  very  hand- 
some showing. 

"Well,  1  declare,  fellows,  you  had  good  luck,"  re- 
marked Maynard,  as  he  with  the  others  admired  lie 
display. 

"This  small  fish,"  said  Claude,  as  he  picked  it  up 


236 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


1 1 


and  cxaiuincd  it,  "  is  called  by  the  French  Canucks  the 
whilefish,  and  I  have  read  it  will  neither  take  bait  nor 
the  fly.     How  did  you  get  it  ? " 

"  Caught  it  in  the  net,  when  I  netted  Tommy's  first 
trout,"  replied  Robbins. 

"That  was  bull  luck,"  added  St.  Clair. 
"This    large  fish  is  called  in  Canada  the  toque," 
said  Claude,  "  and  they  sometimes,  but  not  very  often, 
attain  a  weight  of  thirty-five  pounds.     I  brought  my 
lar-e    steelyards   with    me.      They    will    weigh  ^^  thirty 
pounds,  but  ^  guess  that  is  enough  for  your  fish." 
"  Are  they  fit  to  eat  ?  "  inquired  Drawee. 
"Yes,  but  they  are  not  as  good  as  trout  or  salmon. 
Their  fiesh    is   coarser,"    and,  picking   up    the   toque, 
Claude  weighed  it  and  found  it  pulled  down  the  needle 
to  twenty-two  po*    ds. 

"You  are  the  boss  fisherman  of  the  club,"  asseited 
Foster.  "That  is  the  largest  fish  that  has  ever  been 
caught  by  any  member.     Is  it  not,  Claude  ? 

"Ves.     We  ought  to  vote  George  a  leather  medal. 
How  did  you  catch  that  toque  ?     They  do  not  rise  to  a 
fly,  any  more  than  the  whitefish." 
"  I  was  trolling." 

"  That  is  the  more  sportsmanlike  way  of  taking  them, 
but  lots  of  the  natives  spear  them,"  saia  Claude. 

The  fish  were  all  cleaned  and  carried  t-  camp,  and 
Mavnard  cooked  the  whitefish   and  some  of  the  trout 

for  supper. 

Before  retiring  that  night,  the  boys  covered  all  their 
supplies  carefully,  for,  at  sundown,  it  looked  more  like 
rain  than  when  they  had  landed,  and  they  did  not  wish 


Down  River. 


237 


to  vva  vC  up  in  the  morning  and  find  part  of  their  stores 

spoiled. 

About  midnight  the  rain  began,  and  was  accompanied 
by  a  violent  wind,  and  the  thermometer  dropped  twenty 
degrees,  registering  forty  Simday  morning.  This  tem- 
perature, in  a  driving  rain,  mrue  it  seem  even  colder  than 
it  was,  and  the  boys  passed  a  most  disagreeable  day, 
having  some  difficulty  to  make  fire  enough  to  keep  them 
warm.  Le  Roy  gave  up  all  idea  of  baking  the  big  fish, 
waiting  for  a  more  favorable  opportunity. 

The  rain  did  not  cease  falling  entirely  until  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  then  it  grew  colder.  The 
boys  drew  lots  to  see  which  should  tend  the  fires, 
they  would  be  compelled  to  keep  them  up  all  nigh  . 
each  one  keeping  an  hour's  watch,  and,  as  they  could 
not  all  have  the  first  watch,  which  was  the  most  desir- 
able, they  took  that  method  of  settling  it. 

Before  morning,  the  thermometer  dropped  to  thirty, 
and  Monday  they  saw  ice  for  the  first  time  on  the  trip. 
As  the  sun  rose,  however,  the  weather  moderated  fast, 
and  they  had  a  fine  pleasant  day,  much  warmer,  the 
thermometer  registering  sixty-eight  at  noon. 

"  If  we  are  going  to  have  ice  the  5th  of  September," 
declared  Wood,  while  they  were  eating  breakfast,  "we 
shall  need  a  sleigh  to  go  down  the  lower  part  of  this 
river,  instead  of  boats." 

Claude  laughed.  "  Oh,  we  shall  have  a  cold  night  or 
day  once  in  a  while,"  he  said,  "  but,  on  the  whole,  we 
shall  get  very  good  weather  up  this  way  until  about  the 
I  St  of  November.  Sometimes  October  is  the  most 
pleasant  month  in  the  season 


d 


238 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  Is  that  so  ?  "  queried  Wood,  doubtfully. 

"Yes.  When  we  have  a  violent  line-storm,  October 
is  most  always  a  nice  month,"  replied  Claude, 

"We  generally  get  the  line-storm  from  the  loth  to 
the  2oth  of  September,"  added  St.  Clair;  "so,  after 
that  comes,  vou  can  tell  what  kind  of  weather  we  are 
fjoing  to  have  during  the  rest  of  the  season,  Dave." 

"  I  will  remember  that,"  replied  Wood. 

As  their  rubber  blankets  were  wet  through,  and  their 
woollen  blankets  somewhat  damp,  they  concluded  to 
stay  where  they  were  during  the  day,  and  get  all  of 
their  things  thoroughly  dned,  and  do  a  little  washing 
and  mending,  and  start  the  next  morning 

Le  Roy  stuffed  and  baked  the  toque  for  dinner,  and 
the  boys  all  tried  it,  but  not  one  of  them  liked  it  as 
well  as  trout, 

Monday  night  was  comparatively  warm  again,  and 
they  slept  without  a  fire,  and  had  u  good  night's  rest, 
nothing  happening  to  disturb  their  slumbers. 


(      AFTER  XV. 


A    PARTRIDGE   HbNT. 

"Come,  Davs,  tarn  out,"  cried  Le  Roy,  about  five 
o'clock  Tuesday  morning.  "We  must  be  getting 
breakfast." 

"  What  is  the  use  of  getting  up  so  early?"  expostu- 
lated Wood,  drowsily,  half  inclined  to  turn  over  avd 
take  another  nap. 

"Because  tl^e  fellows  intend  to  get  away  by  seven 
o'clock.  Turn  out,  now;  if  you  don't,  I'll  see  if  a 
dipper  of  water  will  open  your  eyes.  You  must  ::it 
some  wood,  while  I  make  the  fire;  there  is  not  \  ood 
enoufrh  for  bre/kfast,  unless  we  burn  you,"  and  Le 
Roy  laughed  at  hiS  friend. 

"Clear  out,  you  barbarian,  and  I'll  get  up,"  and 
Dave,  making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  tur;ied  out  and 
dressed,  and,  taking  an  axe,  began  preparing  fuel. 

"How  far  shdl  we  go  to-day,  fellows?"  queried 
Claude,  as  the  three  boats  were  pushed  off  from  the 
landins  and  headed  down  river  once  more. 

"  As  far  as  we  can,  I  say,"  replied  Le  Roy.  "  Let's 
make  the  distance  from  here  to  that  farm  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Chimmenticook  in  two  days,  if  possible ;  for  we 
can  get  a  lamb  and,  proba'bly,  milk,  butter,  and  eggs 
there,  and  we  r.re  out  of  all  those  things  except  butter, 
and  we  have  enough  of  that  to  last  two  days.     I   am 

239 


240 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


sure  it  will  be  gone  in  that  time,  and  I  don't  like  to 
cook  without  butter." 

"  Then  we'll  row  until  eleven,  and  go  on  shore  for 
dinner.  Start  again  at  one  and  row  until  five,"  pro- 
posed Claude.     "  Is  that  satisfactory  ?  " 

"Yes,"  cried  all  the  party,  and  the  rowers  struck 

out. 

It  was  another  beautiful  day,  as  pleasant  and  even 
warmer  than  Monday,  and  the  whole  party  enjoyed 
the  sail ;  nothing  occurred  to  interrupt  their  progress, 
until  ^bout  half-past  nine,  when,  rounding  a  little 
bend  of  the  river,  they  discovered  seven  animals,  wad- 
ing across  the  river,  in  a  shallow  spot. 

The  three  coxswains  caught  sight  of  the  game  at  the 
same  moment,  and,  in  their  excitement,  shouted,  "  Cari- 
bou ! " 

The  fleei-footed  rangers  of  the  forest  heard  the 
noise,  saw  the  boats,  and  scented  their  occupants,  and 
the  next  moment  they  were  hurryJng  toward  the  west- 
ern shore ;  and  the  head  one  disappeared  in  the  woods 
as  the  boys  opened  fire  on  them. 

"Confound  the  luck!  They  have  every  one  got 
away!"  cried  Drake,  as  the  last  animal  bounded  up 
the  bank  just  as  Charlie  and  Claude  fired  for  the  last 

time. 

"  I  don't  care  if  they  have,"  returned  Claude.  It's 
the  close  season.  We  have  no  right  to  shoot  them 
until  October,  and  I  should  not  have  fired  at  all  if  we 
had  not  been  out  of  meat." 

'*  Let's  go  on  chore,  Claude,"  called  W'ingate  from 
the  Swallow,  "  and  see  if  some  of  them  were  not  hit. 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


241 


I   don't   believe    all    those    shots    could    have    been 
wasted." 

"  I  am  willing,  if  the  others  are." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  the  boys,  excitedly. 

The  boats  were  now  run  in  to  where  the  animals  left 
the  river,  and  secured  in  such  a  manner  that  they  would 
not  go  adrift,  ■'.nd  then  the  fellows  left  them  and  clam- 
bered up  the  bank,  some  four  feet  in  height. 

Wingate  was  first  to  reach  the  top  of  the  bank,  and, 
looking  carefully  around,  cried  eagerly,  "  Look  there  ! 
look  there,  fellows  !  Don't  you  see  the  blood  ;  one  of 
them  has  been  hit,  sure,  and  I  say  let's  follow  him." 

"We  may  have  to  chase  them  ten  miles,  and  then 
bring  back  nothing  for  our  pains,  unless  the  animal  is 
mortally  wounded,"  replied  Claude,  doubtfully. 

"That  is  true,"  acknowledged  Charlie.  "But,  look 
here,  and  here,"  stepping  along  and  pointing  to  blood- 
stains as  he  spoke ;  "  that  animal  can't  travel  many  miles 
losing  blood  at  that  rate,  it  must  be  mortally  wounded. 
I'll  bet  ten  dollars  we  find  one  of  those  caribou  dead 
within  two  miles  of  the  river." 

"  If  we  are  going  out  on  the  trail,"  remarked  Claude, 
after  a  little  thought,  "  Le  Roy  and  Wood  had  better 
remain  here  and  make  preparations  for  dinner,  so  we 
can  have  it  on  our  return.  It  is  nearly  ten  o'clock  now, 
and  we  can't  tell  how  long  we  shalJ  be  away,  but  it  is 
certainly  safe  to  say  two  or  three  hours.  You  and|I 
can  take  our  hunting-knives,  and  we  had  better  carry 
an  axe,  and  then  if  we  find  the  animal  we  can  skin  it 
and  cut  it  up  in  such  pieces  that  the  seven  of  us  can 
get  back  with  it  easily." 


242 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


m 


"  I  like  your  proposition,"  said  Le  Roy,  "  and  Dave 
and  I  will  have  everything  ready  by  the  time  you  get 
back,  anil,  if  you  bring  the  caribou,  I  can  cook  some  of 
the  steaks  in  fifteen  minutes." 

The  boys  now  returned  to  the  boats,  and  Foster 
obtained  an  axe,  which  he  offered  to  carry.  Charlie 
and  Claude  took  their  hunting-knives,  and  the  other 
four  who  were  to  make  up  the  party  their  fire-arms. 
They  lost  no  time  in  getting  away,  and  found  the  trail 
broad  and  easy  for  the  first  mile.  After  that  it  was 
apparent  to  the  boys  that  the  wounded  animal  was 
dragging  behind  the  others,  and  sometimes  shambled 
along  entirely  outside  of  the  other  tracks. 

About  two  miles  from  the  river  they  reached  a  small 
brook,  and  found  that  the  animal  had  drank  from  and 
then  crossed  it,  and  some  fifty  yards  from  the  brook, 
by  a  huge  windfall,  they  found  a  male  caribou  dead, 
stretched  out  on  his  side. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  cried  Charlie.  "  what  did  I  tell  you  ? 
Now  we  can  have  some  meat  for  dinner." 

"And   I,  for  one,  shall  le   glad  to  get  it,"  added 

Drake. 

«'  That's  a  big  or-,  fellows,"  said  Claude.  "  I  should 
think  he  would  weigh  six  hundrid.  But  we  must  get 
to  work."  And,  whipping  out  his  hunting-knife,  and 
assisted  by  Charlie,  the  two  boys  soon  had  the  animal 
skinned,  and  then  proceeded  to  cut  him  up.  As  soon 
as  this  was  done,  they  divided  the  meat,  and  started 
back,  returning  over  nearly  the  same  ground. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  which  one  of  us  killed  this 
fellow,"  said  Maynard,  as  they  walked  slowly  along, 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


243 


for,  loaded  as  they  were,  no  one  seemed  inclined  to 
hurry. 

"  I  can  answer  that  question,"  remarked  Claude, 
with  a  laugh.  '*  Not  one  of  us  killed  him,  but  every- 
body had  a  hand  in  it,  I  guess,  for  he  was  completely 
riddled  with  bullets  and  buckshot.  I  don't  wonder 
that  he  bled  freely,  but  what  I  do  wonder  at  is  how 
in  the  dickens  he  could  carry  so  much  lead  such  a 
distance." 

"  I  suppose  none  of  the  bullets  hit  him  in  a  very 
dangerous  place,  and  he  probably  bled  to  death,"  sug- 
gested Drake. 

"That  is  not  a  bad  idea  of  yours,  Rob,"  replied 
Charlie.     "  What  do  you  think,  Claude  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  might  be  so." 

"  It's  hot  enough  to-day  to  make  up  for  Sunday 
night,"  declared  Foster,  as  he  stopped  for  a  moment 
to  wipe  the  moisture  from  his  face, 

"  Travelling  with  a  load  brings  the  sweat  out  of  you," 
said  Drake.  "  I  am  glad  that  caribou  was  considerate 
enough  to  die  where  he  did,  for  this  is  as  far  as  I  care 
to  lug  any  part  of  his  carcass." 

"  But  you  like  to  have  meat  in  camp,"  insinuated 
Robbins. 

"  Certainly.  But  that  is  no  reason  why  I  should  care 
to  lug  it  ten  miles." 

"  Poke  along,  and  save  your  wind,  Drake.  The  car- 
ibou was  not  over  two  miles  from  the  river  when  we 
found  him,  and  we  are  certainly  half-way  back,"  spoke 
up  Charlie. 

It  was  half  past  twelve  when  the  hunting  party  strag- 


244 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


^1 


t 


gled  up  to  the  cook's  fire  and  deposited  their  burdens 
a  short  distance  away.  Le  Roy  cut  some  slices  of 
steak,  and,  with  Dave's  assistance,  broiled  them  at 
once,  and  in  twenty  minutes  announced  to  his  tired 
and  hungry  friends  that  dinner  was  ready. 

They  gladly  obeyed  the  summons,  and  the  two  cooks 
ate  with  the  party.  After  dinner,  Charlie  and  Claude 
took  care  of  the  meat  they  were  to  take  with  them, 
while  Le  Roy  and  Wood  washed  and  packed  up  the 
dishes,  and,  although  all  the  members  of  the  party 
helped  vVhen  they  could,  it  was  two  o'clock  before  the 
boats  were  afloat  again. 

They  passed  several  small  streams  during  the  after- 
noon, and  about  five  o'clock  reached  one  that  emptied 
into  the  river  on  the  west  side.  They  went  on  shore 
just  below  its  mouth,  and,  finding  the  spot  favorable 
for  camping  purposes,  passed  the  night  there  without 
incident  or  adventure  worth  relating. 

Wednesday  morning  they  found  they  were  in  the 
fog,  but  it  lifted  before  they  had  made  three  miles  on 
the  river;  they  ran  until  noon,  and  then  stopped  a 
couple  of  hours,  as  they  figured  that  they  were  within 
six  miles  of  their  destination  for  the  night. 

Starting  at  two  o'clock,  they  rowed  ensily  along,  and 
at  five  o'clock  they  came  to  ihe  mouth  of  the  Chimmen- 
ticook  River,  and,  passing  a  few  rods  bel'->v  it,  landed 
on  the  north  shore,  but  a  short  distance  f-T.?  the  faim. 
They  built  their  camp  as  usual,  not  caring  to  stop  at  the 
farmhouse,  for  various  reasons. 

Thursday  morning  they  went  to  the  farm  and  found 
ihe  proprietor,  whom  they  interviewed  on  the  subject  of 


A  PartridiTC  Hunt. 


245 


stores.  They  found  both  the  male  and  female  partners 
of  the  establishment  ready  to  sell  anything  they  had  for 
money,  and  Wingate  purchased  six  dozens  of  eggs,  ten 
pounds  of  butter,  and  five  quarts  of  milk,  also  a  lamb 
that  dressed  off  fifty  pounds,  the  six  meals  they  had 
eaten  from  it  having  made  quite  a  hole  in  their  caribou 

meat. 

The  farmer  told  them  there  was  another  log  house 
and  clearing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tulandic  stream,  the 
next  river  below,  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles.  As 
they  did  not  get  ready  to  leave  the  Frenchman's  until 
eleven  o'clock,  they  concluded  to  have  dinner  where 

they  were. 

At  one  o'clock  they  were  under  way  again,  speeding 
easily  along  with  a  good  current.  Swinging  around  one 
of  the  sharp  curves  that  they  were  constantly  meeting 
with,  Foster  noticed  a  fox  trotting  along  the  right-hand 
bank  of  the  river. 

The  boys  all  stopped  rowing  and  paddling,  and 
reached  for  guns  and  rifles.  The  fox  scented  them, 
and,  turning,  took  a  look  at  the  boats,  and,  not  liking 
their  appearance,  bounded  over  the  bushes  that  lined 
the  bank,  and  disappeared  before  a  single  shot  was 
fired.  A  chorus  of  groans  was  wafted  after  knowing 
Reynard,  who  had  no  idea  of  making  a  target  of  him- 
self. 

"What  a  mean  fox!"  exclaimed  Foster,  as  the 
animal  was  lost  to  view.  "Wouldn't  even  give  a 
fellow  a  chance  for  a  shot." 

" That's  where  his  head  was  .evel,"  replied  Claude; 

"  he  didn't  care  to  lunch  on  cold  lead." 


Ill 

i 


246 


Up  the  North  Pranch. 


At  half  past  four  the  boys  passed  the  mouth  of 
Tuhmdic  Stream,  and,  a  few  moments  later,  landed  on 
the  north  shore,  near  the  clearing. 

After  supper  they  went  up  to  the  log  house,  and 
purchased  all  the  eggs,  butter,  and  milk  they  could 
buy,  and,  also,  two  bushels  of  new  potatoes,  which  were 
the  first  they  had  eaten  for  a  long  while. 

They  learned  from  the  man  who  lived  on  the  farm 
that  it  would  take  them  about  two  days  to  go  to  the 
mouth  of  Little  Black  River,  where  there  were  two 
more  farms,  and  where  they  could  purchase  more 
supplies. 

Saturday  morning  they  started  at  eight  o'clock,  and 
at  half  past  twelve  stopped  for  dinner  at  the  mouth  of 
a  large  stream,  that  entered  into  the  St.  John  from  the 
west. 

As  it  was  Le  Roy's  last  dinner,  he  took  plenty  of 
time  to  prepare  it,  and  treated  them  to  roast  caribou 
and  mashed  potato,  hot  johnny-cake,  and  plum  pud- 
ding with  cold  sauce.  Having  a  greater  variety  to  do 
with,  they  could  now  get  up  much  better  meals;  the 
butter,  eggs,  and  mUk  being  great  additions  to  the 
commissary  department.  The  cooking  and  eating  of 
this  dinner,  however,  took  up  more  time  than  usual, 
and  it  was  three  o'clock  before  the  party  was  again 
atloat. 

During  the  afternoon  they  passed  the  mouth  of 
several  small  streams,  and,  about  half  past  five, 
reached  quite  a  large  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river, 
and  landed  just  below  the  end  of  it,  at  the  mouth  of  a 
small  brook  on  the  north  side  of  the  St.  John. 


A  Piirtrid^^c  Hunt. 


247 


I 


It  was  verv  cold  that  night,  and  ice  formed  again, 
and  when  they  awoke  Sunday  morning  the  fog  was  so 
thick  it  seemed  like  a  solid  mass,  and  they  could  not 
see  twenty  yards  away.  Nobody  seemed  inclined  to 
cet  up,  and  it  was  nine  o'clock  before  Wood  turned 
out.  He  was  chief  cook  for  the  week,  and  had  Win- 
gate  for  assistant. 

But  Charlie  did  not  propose  to  do  his  work  for  him, 
and  as  Wood  was  comparatively  green,  his  only  evpe- 
ricnce  having  been  the  week  before  as  Le  Roy's  assis- 
tant, it  was  eleven  o'clock  before  they  sat  down  to 
breakfast,  and  then  not  a  very  good  one. 

Drake  proposed  they  should  stop  where  they  were 
for  the  d'av,  but,  after  an  argument  over  the  matter, 
thev  concluded  to  make  a  start,  and  go  as  far  as  they 
could  easily,  not  knowing  but  they  would  have  it  foggy 
the  next  morning. 

It  was  half  past  twelve  before  they  broke  camp,  and 
were  again  afloat.  In  an  hour  they  h.d  passed  two 
more  small  streams,  and  found  by  their  co  .passes  that 
the  river  was  making  a  big  bend  to  the  sou.  \ 

About  four  o'clock  they  passed  a  small  isl.  nd,  going 
to  the  left  of  it,  and,  a  mile  beyond,  noticed  diat  the 
river  was  swinging  to  the  north  again. 

At  ^ve  o'clock  they  stopped  on  a  little  point,  that 
made  into  the  river  from  the  west,  and  camped  for  the 
ni-ht  The  weather  had  been  warm  during  the  day, 
but  it  grew  cold  again  at  dark  ;  the  temperature,  how- 
ever,  was  not  so  low  as  the  night  before,  as  no  ice 
formed,  but  there  was  a  little  vapor  the  next  morning, 
and  it  was  nine  o'clock  before  they  left  the  camp 
ground. 


248 


Up  the  Worth  Branch. 


At  noon  they  stopped  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  at  the  mouth  of  a  small  brook,  and  Wood,  who 
had  been  twitted  considerably  about  his  cooking,  gave 
them  the  best  meal  he  had  yet  prepared. 

"Don't  get  discouraged,  Dave,"  advised  Claude, 
pleasantly,  while  they  were  eating.  "Cooking does  not 
come  naturally  to  everybody ;  most  people  have  to 
learn   it." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shall  never  learn." 

"Yes,  you  will,  if  you  are  determined  to.  This 
meal  is  a  great  improvement  over  your  others ;  just 
keep  on  trying,  and,  by  the  time  you  go  home,  you  will 
be  able  to  cook  in  a  way  that  will  surprise  your 
mother." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  from  home  ;  I  don't  know 
whether  my  folks  are  alive  or  dead,"  remarked  Dave, 
his  lip  trembling,  and  unshed  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  We  are  all  in  the  same  box,"  declared  Claude, 
whose  nature  was  strongly  sympathetic,  catching  one 
of  Dave's  hands,  and  pressing  it.  "  No  news  is  good 
news,  my  boy,  and  when  we  get  to  Fort  Kent,  I  expect 
we  shall  find  several  bushels  of  mail." 

"  The  meat  is  all  gone,  fellows,"  announced  Dave. 

"  Don't  let  that  trouble  you,"  observed  Charlie ;  "  we 
will  buy  another  lamb  when  we  get  to  one  of  those 
farms  we  expect  to  reach  to-night." 

At  half  past  one  the  party  embarked  again,  and, 
during  the  afternoon,  ran  the  Little  Black  River 
Rapids,  without  accident,  although  they  experienced 
some  difficulty  in  one  or  two  places,  and  it  was  nearly 
six  o'clock  when  they  reached  the  first  farm,  and 
landed  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river. 


A  PartridiTc  Hunt. 


249 


It  was  so  late  that  every  member  of  the  club  had  to 
uork  with  a  will  to  enable  them  to  get  their  camp 
arranged  and  prepare  supper  before  dark. 

Tuesday  morning,  after  breakfast,  they  went  up  to 
the  house,  and  found  the  owner,  and  bought  all  the 
supplies  he  had  to  sell.  Duritig  the  forenoon,  they 
loaded  their  boats,  and  dropped  a  short  distance 
down  the  river,  below  the  mouth  of  the  Little  IJlack, 
and   went   into   camp   on    the    north   side   of   the  St. 

'Tfter  dinner  they  walked  up  to  the  second  log 
house,  and  interviewed  the  proprietor  to  see  what  he 
had  to  sell,  and  picked  up  eggs,  butter,  milk,  and  a 
small  home-made  cheese.  Th  also  learned  from  a 
xoung  man,  who  spoke  broken  English  (broken  all  up, 
brake  wittily  put  it),  and  who  worked  on  the  place,  that 
partridges  were  quite  thick  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
two  cletarings.  They  also  learned,  from  the  owner,  that 
they  could  not  obtain  any  more  supplies  until  they 
reached  Savage's,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francis. 

"  I  thought  there  must  be  savages  in  this  wilderness 
somewhere,"  said  Drake,  laughing. 

The  Frenchman  was  somewhat  dull  of  comprehen- 
sion, beside  not  understanding  English  very  well,  and 
did  not  see  the  point,  and  a  puzzled  expression  ai> 
peared  on  his  face  after  Drake's  remark. 

St.  Clair  noticed  it,  and  explained,  "Don't  mind 
what  that  fellow  says;  he  is  a  little  wrong  here,"  tap- 
ping his  forehend. 

"  Ah,  I  compreliendevous,"  returned  the  Frenchman. 

"  Let  up,  you  skunk  !  "  replied  Drake. 


250 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"There  you  see,  sir,"  added  St.  Clair,  "he  is  asking 
you  for  a  skunk." 

'  Come  along,  fellows,"  called  Claude,  as  he  started 
for  the  river,  "  and  stop  your  guying." 

After  reaching  camp,  Claude  asked  his  friends  how 
they  would  like  to  remain  where  they  were  unt".  Thurs- 
day morning,  and  devote  Wednesday  to  a  grand  par- 
tridge hunt. 

'i'his  proposition  was  received  with  great  favor  by  all, 
and  was  carried  into  effect. 

Wednesday  morning,  after  breakfast,  every  member 
of  the  party  started  out,  taking  a  lunch  with  him. 
Claude,  Charlie,  Foster,  and  Drake  took  the  Pdrd  and 
went  up  the  river  to  the  other  clearing,  and  the  other 
five  went  back  into  the  one  on  which  they  were  stop- 
ping, all  agreeing  to  meet  at  the  camp  by  five  o'clock, 
and,  to  encourage  each  to  do  his  best,  it  was  also 
agreed  that  the  fellow  bringing  in  the  smallest  number 
of  birds  should  pay  for  a  supper  at  Young's  Hotel  for 
the  whole  party,  after  they  reached  Boston. 

After  Claude  and  his  party  landed,  and  took  the  Petrel 
out  of  the  water,  th'^y  separated,  having  first  agreed  to 
rendezvous  at  the  boat  at  half  past  four. 

At  five  o'clock,  the  party  that  had  hunted  on  die 
lo-.ver  clearing  began  to  arri-e  at  camp,  and  by  ten 
minutes  past  ihe  hour  were  all  there.  Five  minutes 
later,  the  others  appeared  from  the  river,  and  the  score 
was  taken.  Fifty-nine  partridges  had  been  shot  during 
the  day,  and  Maynard  remarked  that  he  guessed  they 
would  be  rather  scarce  in  that  vicinity  the  rest  of  the 
fall.     They  were  divided  among  the  party  as  follows : 


A  rartriJgc  Hunt. 


251 


►^ 

W 


Claude  had  brought  in  five ;  Foster,  se'  --n  ;  St.  Clair, 
nine  ;  Robbins,  six ;  Maynard,  eight ;  Le  Roy,  three ; 
Wood,  five ;  Wingate,  ten ;  and  Drake,  six. 

When  the  count  was  announced,  the  party  cheered 
Win<^ate,  as  the  champion,  and  badgered  Tomniy  un- 
mercifully at  his  poor  success.  But  Le  Roy  stood  it 
like  a  martyr,  and  declared  that  one  could  not  shoot 
the  birds  if  he  did  rot  see  them  to  shool,  a  fact  that 
was  self-evident. 

As  thev  had  such  a  large  number,  half  a  dozen  were 
picked  and  cleaned,  and  fricasseed  for  supper,  and  the 
young  hunters  enjoyed  the  fruits  of  their  day's  sport. 

Havin-  obtained  a  lamb  from  Mr.  Picot,  they  had 
plenty  of"  provisions  to  last  for  two  or  three  days,  and 
on  Thursday  morning  the  boats  were  launched,  and  at 
seven  o'clock  the  boys  pushed  out  into  the  stream,  and 
headed  down  river  once  more. 

The  party  stopped  from  twelve  to  two  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river  for  dinner,  and  at  five  o'clock  went 
into  camp  at  tha  head  of  Nigger  Brook  Rapids,  having 
passed  the  mouth  of  the  Allaguash.  The  Frenchman, 
Picot,  had  warned  them  that  these  rapids  were  rather 
dangerous,  and  the  boys  concluded  they  would  look 
them  over  the  next  morning  from  the  river  bank,  be- 
fore they  attempted  their  passage. 

After  breakfast  Friday  morning,  Claude,  Wmgate, 
and  St.  Clair  worked  their  v  .y  along  the  bank  of  the 
river  some  distance,  and  examined  the  water  care- 
fully, and,  after  sonr.  argument,  finally  concluded  that 
it  would  be  safer  to  carry  everything  around  but  the 
boats,  and  these  they  could  drop  down  from  the  shore. 


/.  •' 


252 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"^^t 


I 


This  programme  was  accordingly  carried  out,  and 
used  up  the  whole  forenoon,  and  the  party  look  their 
dinner  at  the  foot  of  the  "  colored  gentleman's  rapids," 
as  Robbins  laughingly  put  it. 

When  they  reached  the  foot  of  Cross  Rock  Rapids, 
it  began  to  sprinkle,  and  they  immediately  went  into 
camp,  and  had  hardly  time  to  get  ready  for  the  rain 
when  it  came  down  in  torrents.  At  sundown,  however, 
it  held  up,  and  cleared  away. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  rose  clear  and  bright,  but 
betweeri  seven  and  eight  it  went  into  a  cloud,  and  the 
temperature  began  to  change. 

"We  shall  get  the  line-storm,  in  my  opinion,  before 
the  weather  clears  again,  ard  we  must  reach  Savage's 
to-night.  If  he  will  put  us  up,  even  if  we  have  to 
sleep  in  his  barn,  we  had  be  iter  dc  it  than  be  outdoors 
in  a  cold  storm  for  several  days  or  a  week,"  and  Claude 
looked  at  the  others  for  an  expression  of  opinion. 

"My  sentiments,  exactly,"  said  Wingate. 

"  Mine,  too,"  chined  in  St.  Clair,  and  indeed  the 
boys  seemed  to  entertain  a  very  unanimous  opinion  on 
the  subject. 

"  Then  let's  start,  and  not  stop  until  we  reach  Sav- 
age's landing,  '  proposed  Claude.  "We  can  get  along 
if  we  don't  have  but  two  meals  to-day." 

"  Right  you  are,"  remarked  Wood. 

"  Dave  is  sure  to  agree  with  you  on  that,"  added 
Drake,  laughing. 

At  half  past  eight  Saturday  morning,  the  little 
flotilla  made  a  fresh  start.  They  passed  several  dif- 
ferent rapids  without  accident,  and  reached  the  mouth 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


253 


of  the  St.  Francis  River  at  three  o'clock.  They 
pissed  to  the  right  of  the  islands,  and  stopped  onpo- 
site  the  lower  one,  a  short  distance  from  the  mouth 
cf  a  small  stream,  that  flowed  into  the  nver  from 
Maine,  and  which  stream,  they  had  been  told,  was  near 

Savage's. 

The   boats   were   unloaded,    and    ta^en    cut    of  the 
^viter,  turned  bottom  up,  and  covered  over  with  can- 
vas and  while  Wood  and  Wingate  began  preparations 
for 'the  dinner  and  supper  combined,  Claude  and  bt 
Clair  started  up  to  Savage's  house,  to  see  if  they  could 
secure  accommodations  for  the  party  for  a  few  days. 
The  rest  of   the  boys  busied  themselves,  meanwhile, 
in  bringing  everything   from    the   boats   to   the    place 
where  the  cooks  had  started  their  fire. 

Claude  and  Andrew  soon  found  Mr.  Savage's  habita- 
tion, a  small  white  house,  standing  near  a  road  which 
they  afterward  learned  followed  ihe  river  down  to  tort 
Kent,  and  were  also  lucky  enough  to  f^nd  Mr.  Savage 
himself,  which  was  more  to  the  purpose. 

Claude  stated  their  wants  to  him,  and  Mr.  Savage 
admitted  the  weather  looked  bad,  and  finally  said  he 
would  take  care  of  them  if  they  would  put  up  with  such 
sl^epin'T  accommodations  as  he  had  to  offer. 

The  two  friends  assured  him  that  they  could  sleep 
anvwhere  that  other  people  could,  a.id  that,  if  he  was 
any  way  short  of  bedding,  they  could  furnish  their  ow 
blan 


n 


.kets.  Claude  told  him  they  were  getting  their  sup- 
per then,  and  would  be  up  after  tb.ey  had  eaten  it,  and 
bring  whatever  was  likely  to  get  wet 


(( 


Will  he  let  us  stop  with  him  ? "  queried  Charlie, 


254 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


as  soon    as    he    caught   sight   of    the    returning   mes- 


sengers. 


"  Yes,"  repHed  Claude,  "  and  he  appears  to  be  a  nice 
fellow." 

"  Savage  by  name,  but  not  by  nature,"  suggested  Le 
Roy. 

"  We  had  better  take  everything  to  the  house  with 
us,  except  the  boats  and  cooking  utensils,"  remarked 
Claude,  "  and  what  we  leave  here  we  can  stow  under 
the  boats." 

"  Think  they'll  be  safe  .?  "  asked  Wood. 

"Mr.  Savage  seemed  to  think  they  Vv'ould.  I  asked 
him  about  it." 

By  six  o'clock,  everything  was  packed  up,  and,  scat- 
tering their  fire,  the  boys  adjourned  in  a  body  to  the 
Hotel  Savage.  They  had  not  been  indoors  an  hour 
when  it  began  to  rain,  and  the  storm  increased  with 
each  hour,  the  wind  blowing  very  hard. 

For  three  days  they  were  detained  here,  and  during 
Monday  an  inch  of  snow  fell.  Th^  storm  broke  late 
Tuesday  afternoon,  and  when  the  boys  went  outdoors 
Wednesday  morning  they  found  it  pleasant,  and  quite 
warm. 

Claude  saw  Mr.  Savage,  and  told  him  they  should 
leave  after  breakfast,  and  iried  to  obtain  some  stores 
to  take  with  fliem.  But  the  landlord  laughed,  and 
said  he  had  kept  them  so  long,  not  knowing  they  were 
coming,  that  he  could  not  spare  a  thing,  but  that  he 
thought  they  would  be  able  to  obtain  what  they  wanted 
from  a  Mr.  Connor,  three  miles  below,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river. 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


25i. 


i 


After  breakfast,  Wingate  paid  the  bill,  and  the  boys, 
taking  their  belongings,  went  to  the  river,  where  they 
found  the  boats,  and  the  other  articles  they  had  left, 
safe,  and  they  were  soon  afloat,  and  on  their  way  to- 
ward Connor's. 

The  rapids  at  Toban  Bar,  a  mile  below  Savage's, 
were  run  without  difficulty,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the 
boys  reached  the  grounds  belonging  to  Connor,  and  a 
landing  was  made. 

Winsate  and  Claude  went  up  to  the  lumberman's 
hou.-ie,  a  much  larger  building  than  Savage's,  and  in- 
quired for  Mr.  Connor,  but  he  was  not  at  home.  From 
the  women  in  the  house,  however,  they  procured  two 
dozen  eggs,  some  milk,  and  butter,  which  would  do 
them  until  they  reached  Fort  Kent,  where  there  were 
stores,  and  where  they  would  stop  that  night. 

The  boats  had  not  been  taken  out  of  the  water, 
and  the  moment  Claude  and  Charlie  returned  they 
pushed  forward  again.  During  the  forenoon,  they 
passed  eight  or  ten  islands,  and  stopped  about  one 
o'clock,  at  the  ...ad  of  Winding  Ledges,  to  get  tht'- 
dinner. 

"Ore  Scott!  There's  a  church,"  sang  out  Drake, 
pointing  across  the  river,  they  having  landed  on  the 
Maine  side.     "  That's  quite  a  sight." 

"Oh,  we  are  beginning  to  get  into  an  ;nh;ii'itcd 
country  once  more,"  remarked  Foster.  "  J'.st  think  of 
it,  there  are  stores  at  Fort  Kent.  Won't  we  go  on  a 
bust ! " 

"We'll  bust  tne  postoffice,  the  first  ;.hing,"  added 
Wood,  "  and  get  our  mail ;  and  I'll  bet  the  postmaster 
will  be  glad  to  get  riu  of  it." 


j£i 


256 


Up  the  North  Bj'anch. 


They  had  hard  work  to  find  enough  wood  in  this 
vicinity  to  cook  their  dinner  with,  but  they  accom- 
plished it  after  a  while,  and  as  soon  ns  the  ineal  wps 
over  they  started  again,  reaching  Fort  Kent  at  four 
o'clock.  They  had  a  narrow  escape  from  an  accident 
while  running  the  Winding  Ledges  Rapids,  but  they 
came  out  all  right,  and  a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile. 

They  had  landed  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  near 
the  old  block  house,  which  they  wished  to  see.  It 
stood  at  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers,  the  Fish  River, 
which  drains  the  Eagle  Lakes,  emptying  into  the  St.  John 
at  this  point.  The  old  fort  was  close  to  the  water,  and 
the  boys  inspected  it  in  a  body.  When  they  had  satis- 
fied their  curiosity  in  regard  to  this  historic  ruin,  Claude 
and  Wingate  were  despatched  to  buy  stores,  and  St. 
Clair  and  Robbins  to  the  postofficc  for  the  mail.  The 
other  members  of  the  party  crossed  Fish  River  in  the 
boats,  and  established  the  camp  there. 

"  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  get  many  things,  Char- 
lie," said  Claude,  as  they  tramped  toward  the  business 
part  of  the  town,  "because  we  can  get  more  at  Fd- 
mundston." 

"  Milk,  butter,  eggs,  and  a  ham  are  all  we  need  for 
to-day,"  replied  Wingate,  looking  at  his  list. 

As  they  walked  along,  the  natives  .oticed  they  were 
strangers,  and  many  curious  glances  were  thrown  after 
them.  But  the  boys  had  become  accustomed  to  bting 
stared  at,  and  did  not  mind  it  any.  They  found  a 
store  of  the  general  variety  kind,  where  they  bought  all 
they  wanted  but  the  milk,  and  the  proprietor,  who  was 
very  pleasant,  sent  them  to  a  house  in  the  neighbor- 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


2:>i 


hood,  where  they  procured  it.  Then  they  returned  to 
the  river,  and  were  ferried  across  to  camp,  where  they 
found  St.  Clair  and  Robbins,  who  had  arrived  before 
tiieni,  and  had  brought  one  hundred  and  five  letters  and 
two  hundred  and  fifteen  other  pieces  of  mail  matter, 
consisting  of  papers,  books,  and  packages. 

"  I  tell  you,  we  had  a  load,"  remarked  St,  Clair, "  and 
the  [.(jstmaster  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  it.  You  should 
have  seer^^some  countrymen  in  the  store  stare  when  the 
mail  was  passed  to  us.  I  guess  they  thought  we  were 
members  of  Congress  up  here  on  a  time." 

"The  postmaster  asked  me  where  w^e  were  from," 
added  Robbins,  "  and  I  told  him  how  we  had  come 
from  Boston,  and  let  him  know  we  had  made  the  trip 
all  through  Maine  without  any  guides,  and  he  looked 
as  if  he  did  not  believe  it." 

That  evening  was  devoted  to  reading  letters  and  look- 
ing over  papers,  and  the  party  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  they  would  try  and  reach  Edmundston  the  next 
day,  and  stop  at  a  hotel  that  night,  where  they  would 
have  a  better  chance  to  answer  their  letters  than  in 
camp. 

Thursday  morning  the  fellows  were  early  astir,  and 
breakfast  was  served  at  six  o'clock.  At  seven  the 
party  embarked  and  pnssed  the  Rapids  of  Clare's  Bar 
and  the  Fish  River  Rapids  without  difficulty. 

While  running  the  first  rapids  Robbins  dryly  re- 
marked that  it  would  take  a  long  time  for  a  fellow  lo 
get  drunk  on  the  liquor  that  came  from  Clare's  Bar. 

Six  miles  below  Fort  Kent  they  passed  the  mouth  of 
Baker  River,  tlowing  into  the  St.  John  from  the  north, 


♦  » 


258 


Up  tiie  North  Branch. 


the  outlet  of  a  number  of  lal^is.  There  were  several 
ishinds  scattered  along  the  river  in  this  locality,  one  of 
which  was  quite  large.  About  noon  they  passed  a  little 
Roman  Catholic  settlement  called  Chatacoin,  and  half- 
way between  there  and  Frenchville  they  stopped  for 
dinner. 

During  the  afternoon  they  passed  Michaud's  Island 
and  Rapids,  and  reached  Edmundston  about  five  o'clock. 
They  found  this  to  be  a  large  place,  the  terminus  of  the 
New  Brunswick  Railway,  and  they  made  up  their  minds 
to  stop  here  a  few  days. 

Charlie  and  Claude  were  appointed  a  committee  of 
inquiry,  and,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  remained  tvthe 
boats,  they  v^ent  off  to  look  up  a  hotel.  They  were  gone 
an  hour,  and  on  their  return  they  were  besieged  with 
questions. 

"  We  have  engaged  rooms  at  Whitney's  Hotel,  and 
everything  will  have  ♦^o  be  moved  up  there.  The  land- 
lord promised  to  send  a  team  down  right  away  for  our 
baggage  and  camp  equipage,  and  the  boats  we  had 
better  carry  along  ourselves  when  the  team  goes." 

"How  far  shall  we  have  to  carry  them  ?  "  inquired 
Drake. 

"  Only  a  short  distance.  Two  of  us  can  carry  one 
from  here  to  the  house  easily  enough,"  answered  Win- 
gate. 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  the  team  made  its  appear- 
ance, and  the  fellows  helped  the  driver  load  all  their 
things,  and  Drnke,  Wood,  and  Foster  went  along  with 
the  v^•hi^le,  to  look  after  the  baggage  when  it  reached 
the  hotel,  while  the  other  six  members  of  the  party  car- 


A  Partridge  Hunt. 


2o9 


'4: 


4 


» 


riccl  the  boats.  Before  the  boys  reached  the  house 
\viih  the  boats,  they  had  quite  a  following  from  the 
younger  citizens  of  Edmundston,  who  were  very  anxious 
to  learn  their  business  and  all  about  them,  showing 
quite  as  much  inquisitiveness  as  their  neighbors  across 
the  river,  in  Yankee  land. 

The  boys  all  enjoyed  a  good  bath  before  supper,  and 
all  passed  through  the  barber's  hands,  coming  out 
"looking  a  little  less  like  savages,"  as  Maynard  put  it. 
That  evening  was  devoted  to  writing  letters  by  the 
whole  party,  as  the  mail  left  the  next  day. 

Friday  morning,  while  eating  breakfast,  the  boys 
came  to  the  conclusion  to  lie  over  where  they  were 
until  Monday,  for  a  change.  Claude  remarked  that 
they  had  stop-over  tickets  on  that  trip,  and  could  stop 
as  often  as  it  suited  them. 

During  the  forenoon,  they  visited  the  ruins  of  an  old 
block  house  on  the  lower  or  eastern  side  of  the  Mada- 
waska,  and  from  Block  House  Hill  obtained  a  fine 
view  of  the  town.  After  dinner  they  fell  into  conversa- 
tion with  the  landlord,  and  he  told  them  of  a  great 
country  for  hunting,  through  which,  with  a  good  guide, 
they  could  easily  make  the  trip  in  a  week,  and  he  prom- 
ised to  send  for  a  guide,  an  Indian,  called  Tom  Tad- 
pole, and  have  him  at  the  house  that  evening,  to  give 
the  boys  any  information  they  might  wish  for  in  regard 
to  the  excursion. 

The  afternoon  they  passed  in  walking  around  the 
village,  and  about  sundown  ascended  a  high  ledge 
located  but  a  short  distance  from  their  hotel,  and  from 
the  summit  of  which  they  obtained  a  very  fine  view. 


ill 


200 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


J  ;f 


•  1 


The  St.  John  could  be  traced  for  ten  miles,  flowing 
through  a  rich  and  picturesque  valley,  and  nine  miles 
distant  the  dark  front  of  Mount  Carmel  made  a  marked 
contrast  with  the  sapphire  blue  of  the  sky.  They  all 
united  in  pronouncing  the  scenery  fine,  and  returned 
to  the  house  well  satisfied  with  the  manner  in  which 
the  day  had  been  spent. 

In  the  evening,  Mr.  Tadpole,  the  Indian,  —  "  the  last 
of  the  Milicetes,"  Drake  called  him,— put  in  an  appear- 
ance, and  was  introduced  to  the  boys  by  Mr.  Whitney. 
Claude  asked  him  if  he  could  take  them  where  they 
could  shoot  a  moose,  and  Tadpole  promised  they 
should  shoot  one,  two,  three  moose  if  they  would  hire 
him,  and  put  themselves  under  his  guidance. 

"One,  two,  three,  that  is  six  moose,"  said  Foster, 
with  a  wink  at  his  friends. 

"How  is  that?"  queriea  the  Indian,  looking  puz- 
zled. 

"  Why,  one  and  two  are  three,  and  three  are  six,"  re- 
plied Foster  ;  "  don't  you  see  ?  " 

But  Tadpole  looked  as  if  he  did  not  see  it  at  all,  and 
was  inwardly  wondering  what  the  young  man  was  giv- 
ing him. 

After  talking  ever  the  trip  for  two  hours,  the  Indian 
was  finally  enguged,  and  ordered  to  be  on  hand  the 
next  morning  and  take  the  boats  and  a  canoe  he  was 
to  furnish  up  the  river  as  far  as  Griffin's,  to  which  place 
the  boys  would  go  by  team  on  Monday,  bringing  all 
the  provisions  necessary  for  the  trip,  and  whatever  else 
they  needed. 

Sunday  turned  out  a  duller  day  than  the  party  antici- 


A  Partrids^c  Hunt. 


261 


piited,  from  the  fact  tliat  it  rained  from  early  morn  lill 
late  at  niglit,  and,  if  the  boys  were  kept  indoors,  tliL'y 
had  this  to  console  them,  that  they  were  in  comfortable 
quarters. 

Monday  morning  they  were  up  in  good  season,  had 
breakfast  at  half  past  six,  and  an  hour  later  were  on 
the  road,  in  two  teams  furnished  by  the  landlord.  As 
they  were  to  return  to  the  hotel,  before  continuing  their 
trip  down  the  St.  John,  they  left  whatever  they  thought 
they  could  do  without  for  a  week  at  the  house,  and 
the  proprietor  guaranteed  everything  would  be  sale 
during  their  absence. 


\-l 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


A    SIDE    TRIP. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  for  any  kind  of  a-.i  out- 
door excursion,  and  the  party  enjoyed  the  pleasant 
drive  to  Griffin's  very  much.  Tadpole  met  them  not 
with  the  usual  grave  expression  seen  on  an  Indian's 
face,  but  with  his  countenance  illumined  with  a  smile 
of  welcome,  and  the  remark,  "  Me  have  team  ready  to 
haul  things  to  Mud  Lake,"  which  the  boys  had  already 
learned  was  two  and  a  half  miles  from  where  the  teams 

left  them. 

It  took  some  engineering  about  the  packing  to  get 
the  boats,  the  canoe,  and  all  the  impeditncnta  across  at 
one  load  ,  but,  as  Claude  said,  "  when  you  are  deter- 
mined to  do  a  thing,  you  generplly  find  some  way  to 
accomplish  it,"  and  at  one  o'clock  the  party  launched 
the  boats  and  canoe  in  Mud  Pond,  and  then,  after  par- 
taking of  a  cold  lunch,  loaded  up  and  started. 

Tadpole  took  all  his  canoe  would  hold,  and  the  boys 
distributed  what  there  was  left  equally  among  the  three 
boats'  crews,  and  left  the  landing,  Tadpole  ahead  in 
his  birch,  acting  as  pilot. 

At  five  o'clock  they  went  into  camp  on  Fourth  Squa- 
took  Lake,  and  Tadpole  was  directed  to  help  cut  tlie 
necessary  fuel  and  bring  water,  the  boys  preferring  to 
do  the  cooking  themselves.     Drake  and  Claude,  who 

262 


A  Side  Trip. 


203 


Nverc  the  cooks  for  the  week,  turned  their  attention  at 
once  to  preparations  for  supper,  and  let  their  friends 
see  to  building  a  camp, 

Althou-h  the  boys  were  quite  at  home  m  woodland 
architecture,  especially  St.  Clair,  Win^ate,  and  l^Iay- 
nard,  who  had  made  a  thorough  study  of  camp-bu.ldm-, 
they  found  the  Indian  could  give  Uiem  points  on  that 
business,  and,  watching  Tadpole  closely  and  question- 
ing him  freely,  they  gained  some  valuable  niformal.ou 
i,;\his  particular  kind  of  woodcraft.     The  Indian,  un- 
like most  of  his  race  I  have  met,  seemed  not  only  will- 
ing to  work,  but  anxious  to  keep  busy,  and  proved  a 
valuable  assistant. 

If  the  boys  were  pleased  with  the  Indian,  he  certainly 
was  with  them.  They  treated  him  exactly  as  an  equal, 
and  after  supper,  in  which  he  showed  himself  a  good 
feeder,  he  complimented  them  on  their  cooking,  in  terms 
odd  but  expressive. 

After  supper,  the  boys  built  up  a  rousing  campfire 
and  craihered  around  its  cheerful  blaze  c.'nd  genial 
warmth,  and,  after  some  coaxing,  induced  Tadpole  to 
gA-e  them  several  unwritten  chapters  from  his  experi- 
ence of  forest  life  and  adventure.  Once  started  on 
what  was,  apparently,  to  him  an  agreeable  task,  he  grew 
eloquent,  and  his  description  of  scenes  and  incidents 
bv  lake  and  forest  held  his  hearers  spellbound   until 

nearlv  midnight. 

When  Claude  said  that  it  was  half  past  eleven,  and 
time  for  them  to  turn  in,  if  they  intended  to  get  up  at 
all  the  next  morning,  his  friends  could  hardly  believe 
it,  but  the  fact  could  not  be  disputed ;  and,  thanking 


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204 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


Tadpole  for  his  charming  evening's  entertainment,  the 
whole  jDarty  retired,  and  were  soon  deep  in  the  healthy 
slumber  incident  to  forest  life. 

Tuesday  morning,  at  four  o'clock.  Tadpole  called 
Claude  and  Wingate,  according  to  a  little  arrangen.ent 
made  the  night  before,  and  the  two  friends,  taking  their 
double-barrelled  guns,  and  a  dozen  rounds  of  ammuni- 
tion each,  accompanied  the  Indian,  who  paddled  them 
silently  away  from  the  camp,  and  then  around  to  some 
coves  in  the  little  lake,  where  ducks  were  apt  to  lie 
over  tjight. 

The  party  came  first  on  a  fiock  of  black  ducks,  that 
were  just  about  to  start  out  for  breakfast,  and,  blazing 
away  at  them,  the  two  boys  knocked  over  five  birds 
dead,  and  two  wounded,  which  they  secured  after  pick- 
ing up  the  dead  ones. 

The  Indian  paddled  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond 
to  another  cove,  and  this  was  literally  full  of  ducks, 
and  the  boys  killed  fifteen  at  their  first  fire,  emptied 
their  second  barrels  and  tumbled  over  five  more,  loaded 
and  fired  both  barrels  again,  getting  thirteen  birds  from 
the  second  double  shot. 

"  By  Jove,  Claude  !  isn't  this  sport !  "  cried  Charlie, 
as  they  picked  up  the  birds  floating  on  the  water  all 
around  them. 

"  Immense  !  "  declared  Claude,  with  sparkling  eyes. 
"  Can't  we  get  arother  shot  at  that  flock.  Tadpole  t  " 

"  Not  now.  No  pay  chase  more.  Come  round  this 
way  again  mebbe.  Co  to  next  cove  now.  lie  ready 
to  shoot,  most  always  big  lot  ducks,  go  quack  I  quack  1 
here." 


A  Side  Trip. 


205 


There  were  about  one  hundred  ducks  in  the  next  cove, 
and  the  two  young  Nimrods  killed  twenty  out  of  this 
lot  and  as  it  was  now  time  for  Claude  to  return  and 
get   breakfast,    the    Indian    turned    the  canoe   toward 

The  firin>r  they  had  done,  however,  oad  started  tlie 
ducks  in  every  direction,  and  they  had  two  more  good 
shots  on  their  way  back,  killing  nine  at  the  first  double 
fire  and  eleven  at  the  second. 

It  was  half  past  six  when  they  reached  camp,  and 
everybody  was  up,  having  been  awakened  by  tie  firing 
Their  friends  were  surprised  when  they  saw  the  load  of 
ducks  the  hunters  had  with  them,  and  every  f.tllow  ni 
the  party  wished  he  had  gone  out  duck-shooung. 
Drake  already  had  the  fire  built,  and  had  begun  prepa- 
rations for  breakfast  on  finding  that  his  assistant  had 

stolen  out  early.  ,        ,     ,        «. 

The  boys  had  a  chance  to  sample  the  ducks  at 
breakfast,  and  pronounced  them  very  nice.  Robbins 
jokingly  remarked  tha^  he  was  so  well  pleased  with 
the  sample  that  Drake  and  Claude  might  ship  him  a 
load  of  the  goods  at  once,  and  sent  his  plate  for  it. 

When  the  morning  meal  was  over  and  everything 
cleared  up,  the  party  broke  camp  and  paddled  to 
Third  Lake,  reaching  a  suitable  camping  spot  at 
eleven  o'clock.  The  cooks  proceeded  to  get  dinner  at 
once,  as  the  party  intended  to  climb  Squa-took  Peak, 
a  si-htly,  conical  hill,  which  rose  boldly  up  from  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  near  the  site  they  had  selected  for 

their  camp. 

While  dinner  was  progressing,  the  rest  of  the  party. 


I  ! 


,■  I 


li 


2()() 


I  >  t/ir  North  Bmiich. 


iiicludint;  TadpoK',  were  eiiijjaged  in  buihliiii;  a  camp, 
as  the  club  uouUl  spend  the  night  where  they  were. 

Slarlhij;  after  dinner,  guided  by  the  Indian,  who 
knew  every  inch  of  gio md  in  the  viciniLy,  the  boys 
reached  the  top  of  the  mountain  at  tiiree  o'clock,  and 
found  a  magnihcent  view  spread  out  before  them,  three 
hundred  square  miles  being  within  tiie  field  of  vision. 
From  the  peak  on  which  they  stood  the  forest  stretched 
away  from  them  for  two  hundred  miles  to  the  cast, 
southeast,  and  northeast,  without  a  break. 

It  was  warm  and  pleasant  on  the  summit,  and  the 
party  sat  there  for  over  two  hours  enjoying  the  view, 
while  the  Indian  pointed  out  different  localities  and 
told  more  of  his  adventures  in  the  Canadian  wilder- 
ness. 

It  was  a  little  after  five  when  they  started  down,  and 
about  half-way  to  camp  they  came  to  the  trail  of  a 
bear,  which  led  around  from  the  other  side  of  the 
mountain,  crossing  their  trail,  and  bearing  toward  the 
foot  of  Squa-took  River,  which  the  Indian  said  liruin 
would  cross. 

The  younger  members  in  the  crowd  were  eager  to 
follow  the  trail  of  the  bear,  as  they  were  all  armed,  the 
Indian  having  told  them  at  dinner  time  that  bears  were 
very  plenty  in  that  vicinity,  and  that  all  the  party  had 
better  carry  fire-arms. 

Claude  objected  to  following  the  trail  of  the  bear, 
because  daylight  was  nearly  gone ;  as  they  were 
camped  on  the  east  shore  of  the  lake,  the  trail  lead- 
ing westerly,  they  would  have  a  long  way  to  walk  when 
they  were  ready  to  return. 


A  Side  Trip. 


2tM 


OS    even  if"lurkness  overlook  .he,n,  a.u\  were  so 

'  X  ou  ■  to  go  .bat  Claude    withdrew    his   objec.ons. 

:  ■ ,     "    occurre<l  to  him  .hat  it  wo.lc!  be  a  good  .dea 

„      ve  "l  e  boats  over  on  the  west  side  of  the  ndet  for 

he  party  to  cc„,e  baek  i.. ;  it  would  save  them  a  long 

^,,,1  til-o  them  down  there. 

ahead  feiloi,  and  kill  yo  ,r  '  b'ar.'  and  Claude  and  I 
!u  strike  for  camp  and  follow  you  wth  the  boats_ 

■  ri  was  agreeable  to  all,  and,  the  question  being 
de  ide^d,  the  Fndian  went  ahead  on  the  trad  of  the 
bear  and  Claude  and  Winga.e  started  for  eamp 

Adpole  had  been  right  in  his  idea  as  to  the  way 
Briin  was  travelling,  and  the  party  followed  as  nearly 
fstr  i^ht  line  as  the  sirore  of  the  lake  would  perm.t, 
to  te  foot  of  Squa-took  River,  and  were  so  close  on 
IhJw  elTriy  thatVy  saw  him  enter  the  woods  on  the 

"'"cfot  river  quick,  now,  boys,   make   linle   noise 
spread  out,  and  I  hurry  on,  and^head  h.m  oif.     Be 
ready ;  when  you  see  hnn,  fire  1 
"..  Lt  we  might  hit  you,"  suggested  Maynard 

.Me   hit -no   danger.      I    look   out.     Ktcp   eyes 
onen  step  softly,  and  shoot  soon's  you  see  hnn. 
'a  se  ond  late    and  the   Indian  had  disappeared  so 
sde^u;  that  he  was  gone  from^mongthem^^^^^ 
of  the  party  was  aware  of  it,  and  thev  iook 

other  in  surprise.  „  ^^^i^imed 

''  Come,  fellows,  don't  stand  like  posts  I     exclaimed 


%m 


\ 


268 


Up  the  Nort-  Bratich. 


Mnynard,  who  was  the  fir  t  to  recover  himself.  '•  We 
must  wade  the  river  at  once,  and  I'll  bet  the  water  is 
iione  too  warm.  But  here  goes,"  and  Frank  stepped  in. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  the  party  spread  out 
as  the  Indian  had  directed,  and  in  about  fifteen  min- 
utes a  slight  noise  was  heard  in  advance,  and  a  moment 
later  the  boar  appeared,  now  scarcely  discernible  in  the 
fast  falling  shades  of  night. 

St.  Clair,  Maynard,  and  Robbins,  who  were  on  the 
south  -nd  of  the  line,  saw  Bruin  first,  and  opened  fire 
on  the  animal,  who  turned  northward  and  shufifled 
rapidly,  toward  the  lake,  and  this  gave  Foster  and  Le 
Roy  a  shot,  and  later  Drake  and  Wood,  the  latter  rais- 
ing a  shout  of  triumph  as  he  saw  the  bear  fall. 

"  Hurrah,  fellows,  lie's  down  !  "  said  Wood  ;  "  let's 
finish  him  before  he  gets  up  " 

At  this  the  party  rushed  i.p  to  the  bear,  reaching  the 
animal  just  as  he  had  regained  his  feet,  and  they  all 
poured  in  a  volley,  which,  at  such  short  range,  had  the 
desired  effect,  and  Bruin  was  quickly  released  from 
earthly  troubles. 

As  they  gave  the  bear  his  quietus,  the  Indian  sud- 
denly stood  in  their  midst,  and  said,  "  Good  !  you  kill 
him  quick." 

The  bear  had  been  shot  about  a  dozen  rods  from  the 
lake  shore,  and  the  boys  carried  him  to  the  water's 
Qd^Q,  where  they  found  Claude  and  Charlie,  just 
arrived  in  the  7^t'//r/ and  SjoaHow,  with  the  Daisy  and 
the  Indian's  canoe  in  tow. 

As  Tadpole  wanted  the  bear's  hide,  the  animal  was 
bundled  into  his  canoe,  and  then  the  party  embarked 


m 


i 


A  Sic/c  Trip, 


209 


good 


before  leaving,  and 


.^^..  ...-  at  the  edge  ot  tne  water  berore 
the  li^ht  from  this  was  plainly  visible. 

Drike  and  Claude  began  preparations   for   supper, 
^vhile'  Tadpole,   assisted   by  the  others,  hung  up  the 
b        in  a  convenient  position  for  the  Indian  to  sku. 
who  accomplished  that  job  with  a  dexterity  that  excued 
his  voun'^  friends'  admiration. 

Aft  r  The  skin  had  Uecn  removed,  the  Indian  cut  the 
.„  „  al  open,  took  out  the  entrails,  and  tlren  cut  hun 
TquarL;,  each  of  which  he  hung  to  the  lt.,b  of  a 

""  V:rcr:aWe  the  pri.e,  Tadpole,  on  butchering 
be.rs,"  said  Foster,  who  had  been  an  attentive  spectator 
and  willing  helper  while  the  Indian  was  dotng  the  ,ob 

"  Don't  know  'bout  that.     Cut  up  lots,  though.      Thts 
big  bear,  fat,  juicy,  good  steaks;  try  'en,  in  the  morn- 

'"'"';  vt'  "if  you  think  the  meat  -.viU  be  good,"  returned 
St  Clair  "  We  have  eaten  bear  meat  once  since  we 
have  been  in  the  woods  this  trip,  and  we  did  not  Uke  it 

verv  well."  ,  .     .^    •  Ui. 

"■  Not  in  good  order,  prob'bly.     Th.s  bear  just  rtght, 

feed  on  nuts  and  berries,  prime,  cook  well.'" 

"Supper'"  suddenly  called   Drake,  and  everybody 

made  a  rush  for  the  table,  for  it  was  now  nearly  etght 

o'clock,  and  the  boys  were  hungry. 

Afte^  the  dishes  had  been   washed   tha*  evenmg, 

Drake  brought  forth  a  banjo  that  he  had  borrowed  for 

use  on  this  trip  from  one  of  the  guests  at  the  hotel,  and. 


!.     'il 


270 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


getting  seated  to  his  satisfaction,  began  picking  away  on 
the  strings,  in  a  manner  that  made  the  Indian's  eyes 
open  wide  with  astonishment,  and  filled  his  soul  with 
joy,  if  the  expression  on  his  face  could  be  taken  as  a 
criterion  of  his  inner  feelings. 

Now,  if  there  was  anything  that  Drake  could  do  bet- 
ter than  anything  else,  it  was  to  play  the  banjo.  He 
had  not  only  taken  several  quarters'  lessons  from 
Dobson,  that  master  of  the  darkey's  favorite  instru- 
ment, but  he  had  a  natural  talent  for  it,  and  had  sur- 
prised his  teacher  with  his  performances  even  before 
taking  any  lessons,  who  had  told  him  that  he  could 
play  beiter  than  half  the  banjoists  who  travelled  v.iih 
variety  troupes  then,  and  his  course  of  instructif)n 
under  such  an  artist  as  Dobson  had  given  a  finish  and 
brilliancy  to  his  touch  that  not  one  amateur  in  a  thou- 
sand was  possessed  of,  and  that  but  few  regular  per- 
formers could  equal. 

The  Indian  had  undoubtedly  heard  a  banjo  played 
before  that  evening,  indeed,  he  spoke  of  it  afterward, 
but  he  had  never  heard  one  played  as  this  young 
stranger  from  the  city  played  it,  and  Drake's  perform- 
ance held  him  spellbound.  But  v/hen,  after  half  an 
hour  of  instrumental  music,  Drake  suddenly  announced, 
"Opening  chorus,  fellows,"  and  the  boys  began  a 
double-part  song  with  their  trained  and  musical  voices, 
accompanied  by  Drake,  the  Indian  could  not  sit  still, 
but,  springing  nervously  to  his  feet,  walked  back  and 
forth,  listeninir  with  ears  intent  on  the  harmo:noi:s 
sounds  around  him. 

It  was  doubtful  if  Tadpole  had  ever  listened  to  so 


M 


A  Sule  Trip. 


271 


;;;;.:  a  ^^cert  as  he  heard  in  the  next  hour,  and 
nnde  a  deep  impression  on  him.     He  never  forgot  t1  at 
a   September  night  by  the  quiet  waters  of  the  ake 
^Idlr  the  high  canopy  of  the  blue  heavens,  s.udd.d 
"  ,    .dittcring  stars  of  gold,  and  surrounded  by  the 
L\fv  tvrdls  of  the  perfumed  and  silent  forests,  when  h, 
l^ul  was  first  a«akered  to  the  power  of  mus.c,  and 
feelings  new  and  strange  took  possession  of  h,m. 

..Eten  o'clock!"  shouted  Claude,  suddenly  at  the 
close  of  one  of  the  songs.  "  Is  this  to  be  _an  all-n.ght 
concert,  or  are  we  going  to  bed  some  l.me. 

"'Eleven  o'clock?"  repeated  Robbins,  lookmg  at  h,s 
watch  "  My  stars !  you're  right,  Claude.  I  am  gotng 
old  now.  and  the  rest  of  you  had  better  follow,  or 
In  all  '.c  as  hoarse  as  bull-frogs  ,n  the  nvorn, 
-Goodnight!  ta'ta!  Over  the  r.ver,  George,  and  the 
member  from  Florida  led  the  way  to  the  can,p. 

Tadpole  did  not  sleep  in  the  camp  f"  "'?"'.  ]^<^ 
crawled  oR  into  the  bushes  by  himself.  Ihe  sweet 
sounds  he  had  heard,  ringing  in  his  ears,  and  surgmg 
through  his  brain,  the  musical  murmur  repeatmg  usel 
a..ain  and  again,  so  wrought  upon  his  feehngs  tha  .t 
w°as  nearly  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  h,s 
excitement  burned  itself  out,  and  he  was  able  to  woo 
the  drowsy  god  successfully. 

For  breakfast  the  next  morning,  Wednesday,  some  of 
the  best  steaks  were  cut  from  the  bear  and  broded,  and 
the  boys  found  them  very  good,  much  better,  .n  fact, 
than  any  they  had  eaten  before.  They  planned  to 
take  dinner  that  day  at  the  Forks,  where  the  waters  of 
the  Grand  Fourche  mingle  with  those  of  Squa-took, 


si?! 


272 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


i|ii> 


1" 
\  i 


I  i 


and,  as  they  had  but  comparatively  few  miles  to  row  or 
paddle,  they  did  not  leave  camp  until  after  nine  o'clock. 
As  the  open  season  for  fishing  was  nearly  at  a  close, 
the  party  had  concluded  to  go  up  above  the  Big  Jam 
on  the  Toledi,  and  camp  there  that  night,  and  have 
the  best  part  of  the  day  for  fishing. 

On  their  way  to  the  Forks,  the  Indian  saw  a  moose 
on  the  right-hand  bank,  and  called  the  attention  of  the 
boys  to  it ;  but,  before  any  of  them  were  ready  to  shoot, 
it  scented  them  and  disappeared  in  the  woods. 

They  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Toledi  River  in 
season-  to  have  dinner  at  half  past  twelve,  and,  while 
they  were  eating  the  meal,  the  Indian  asked  them  if 
they  knew  how  to  pole  a  boat. 

"Quick  water  up  to  Big  Jam.  Have  to  pole  all  the 
way.     You  know  how  to  do  him  ?  " 

"We  will  let  you  take  the  lead,"  replied  Claude, 
"  and  I  guess  we  can  follov;  you.  We  have  done  con- 
siderable poling  on  our  different  trips." 

"Not  long  distance— only  a  mile  to  Big  Jam,"  re- 
marked Tadpole. 

"We  are  good  for  any  number  of  miles,"  declared 
Wingate.  "  Only,  I  hope  we  shall  find  some  fish  after 
we  get  there." 

"  Find  him  sure.  Heap  fish  ;  not  very  big,  perhaps," 
returned  the  Indian. 

As  they  had  agreed  among  themselves  to  take  their 
dinner  where  they  now  were  the  next  day,  they  left  a 
few  things  that  could  be  dispensed  with  for  a  short 
time,  hiding  them  so  they  would  be  out  of  the  way  of 
stray  parties  If  any  came  along. 


A  Side  Trip. 


273 


t 


ir 
a 
rt 
d£ 


Leavin-  their  noonday  bivouac  about  half  past  one, 
in  an  hour  they  had  reached  the  Big  Jam,  and  then 
^vere  obliged  to  make  a  short  portage.  They  ha<l  come 
UP  the  river  NNithout  ditTiculty,  and  it  was  on.y  a  half- 
hour's  work  to  unload  and  carry  around  the  obstruc- 
tion and  just  after  three  they  went  into  camp  a  little 
above  the  Jam,  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream 

Two  hours  were  devoted  to  preparing  a  shelter  o» 
the  ni-ht,  and  then  the  entire  party  went  out  f^shuig, 
continuing  the  sport  until  dark,  taking  in  tha^  Ume 
over  one  hundred  trout,  the  largest  in  the  lot  weighmg 

two  pounds. 

Supper  was  late  again  that  night,  and  the  evening 
was  well  advanced  before  the  circle  gathered  around 

the  campfire.  ,       t    r 

"  Come  Tadpole,"  remarked  Claude  to  the  Indian, 
who  stood  near  him,  lost  in  thought,  "  spin  us  a  yarn. 
We  entertained  you  last  night ;  you  must  return  the 
compliment,  and  entertain  us  to-night.     Isn't  that  so, 

fellows  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  cried  all  the  boys. 

»  Tadpole  has  the  floor  to-night,"  added  Wingate. 

"  I  tell  um  story  to-night,  you  speak  some  more  sweet 
music  to-morrow  night,  eh  ? "  queried  the  I'dian,  gazing 

around  the  circle.  ^                       . 

"  Yes  sir,"  replied   Robbins,  laughing  ;      we  11  smg 

like  nightingales,  and  if  Drake  don't  play  for  us  we'll 

break  the  banjo  over  his  head.  How  is  that,  Drake  ? 

"That's  all  right,  George.  If  you  think  you  re 
smart  enough  to  do  it." 

«  I  tell  you  story  long  time  ago,"  said  the  Indian, 


274 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


i!; 


pausing  a  moment  to  think  before  he  be-an  his  narra- 
tive, and  during  which  time  lie  filled  and  lighted  his 

pipe.  . 

"Twenty  ye-irs  ago,  first  moon  this  month,  two 
Frenchmen,  brothers,  wanted  me  to  go  on  trapping  and 
hunting  trip  with  them,  and  each  man  furnish  his  ^hare 
traps,  ammunition,  and  pr(,visions,  and  we  were  to 
share  alike  when  furs  were  sold  in  Quebec. 

"  We  all  live  at  Grand  Falls  then,  and  we  start  up 
Salmon  River  and  go  over  into  the  Rrstigouche  coun- 
tiy,  where  we  stay  three  weeks,  and  then  cross  over  to 
Rimous^ci  waters,  where  we  stay  three  weeks  more. 

"  Have  good  luck  all  the  time.  Kill  lot  of  beavers, 
saple,  otter,  caribou,  and  moose,  and  get  big  pile  fur. 

"  The  I  St  of  November  we  were  to  start  for  Quebe-. 
That  morning,  after  breakfast,  I  feel  sick -get  worse 
ever>  minute,  and  think  I  am  going  to  die.  The  old- 
est Frenchman,  Fran'^ois,  say,  '  You  keep  still,  and  be 
all  right  soon.     We  pack  up.' 

"  I  iay  back  on  the  boughs,  and  pretty  soon  I  know 
nothing!  When  I  wake  up  it  was  dark,  and  Francois 
and  Jean  were  gone.  I  try  to  get  up,  but  so  weak 
couldn't  do  it,  and  keep  still,  and  in  the  morning  I 
wake  and  find  myself  all  alone. 

"  I  crawl  outdoors  and  succeed  in  getting  nre,  after 
Ion-  while  trying,  but  could  find  nothing  to  eat.  Food 
all  "gone,  rifle  gone,  axe  gone,  everything  gone,  then  I 
know  those  two   Frenchmen   big   rascals  and    try  to 

poison  me." 

"That  was  a  meon  trick,"  cried  Wood,  indignantly. 
"  I  guess  you  think  so.     I  only  have  clothes  I  have 


A  Side  Trip. 


>75 


on  Nights  awful  cold,  and  no  blankets.  .  The  nearest 
place  I%ould  get  to  was  Edmunclston.  So  try  hard 
to  get  there.  Cra.vl  all  first  day,  and  eat  bark, 
moss,    leaves,    few    checker^  ..ies,    anything    I.    can 

"That  night  quite  a  snow  ''ill.  Next  morning  still 
weak,  but  not  so  sick,  and  after  a  while  stagger  to  my 
feet.  '  Travel  all  day  till  sun  down,  then  build  a  fire. 
Found  a  place  to  lay  under  som^  bushes  vvliere  *he 
ground  was  bare,  and  go   to  sleep  again  and  nearly 

frcGZf* 

«  Next  day,  'bout  noon,  see  partridge,  and  manage  to 
kill  it  with  a  stick  ;  build  a  little  fire,  and  half  cook  it, 
and  eat  him  all.  After  that  feel  better.  That  after- 
noon  reach  a  camp  we  had  left  on  ihe  Rimouski.  Fmd 
little  piece  por^,  and  two  or  three  potatoes,  and  have 
'em  for  supper. 

♦•Next  morning,  start  of!  without  anything  to  eat, 
and  after  some  hours,  find  old  caribou  carcass  with 
some  meat  on  it.     Smell   bad  —  but  eat  him  all  the 

same." 

The  boys  laughed  at  this  announcement,  and  win- 
gate  said.  "  I  suppose  that  meat  was  well  seasoned, 

Tadpole." 

"S'pose  he  was,"  replied  the  Indian,  laughing. 
"  After  I  eat  all  I  could  hold,  start  on  again,  and  strike 
for  headwaters  Tuladie,  and  find  him  at  sundown. 
That  night  I  kill  two  mush-squash." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  interrupted  Wood. 

''Musk-rat  you  r;al  him,  and  have  them  for  my 
supper.     Next  day  get  down  to  Forks,  and  find  three 


up  the  North  Branch. 


\  k  5.  "iS!   ■ 


276 

logs  on  lake  shore ;  fasten  them  together,  and  paddle 
do^wn  lake,  and  sleep  at  outlet  that  night." 

"  Didn't  you  see  anybody  that  could  help  you,  all  this 
time  ?  "  inquired  Foster. 

"  Not  a  soul.  Catch  mush-squash  again  that  night. 
But  rait  easier  than  walking,  and  in  two  days  more 
reach  Edmundston,  where  I  find  friends." 

"And  did  you  never  see  the  scoundrels  that  played 
you  such  a  mean  trick  ?  "  queried  Maynard.  ^^ 

*'  No  never  see  urn.     Went  west,  I  guess." 

"  We'll,  they  ought  to  have  been  hanged,"  declared 

Le  Roy." 

"  So  I  say,  too,"  added  Tadpole. 

"  I  am  going  to  turn  in,"  announced  Claude.  "  We 
must  got  up  early  in  the  morning,  if  we  wish  to  have 
good  sport  again  with  the  trout." 

"  T  think  I  feel  sleepy  myself,"  remarked  St.  Clair, 
risin-  with  a  stretch  and  a  yawn.  "Tadpole,  what 
time  are  you  going  to  get  us  out  to-norrow  morning  i 

"  Four  o'clock,  if  you  want  catch  lots  of  trout. 

"  If  that's  the  time  we  are  to  turn  out,  I  am  going  to 
turn  in,"  declared  Wood,  and  the  entire   party  were 

soon  in  slumber.  ,  ,     ,    mi       j 

The  Indian  was  up  about  three  o'clock,  Thursday 

morning,    and  replenished  the  fire,   and,  after  it  had 

burned  up  warm  and  bright,  called  the  young  fellows, 

who  were  soon  out  and  dressed. 

It  was  scarcelv  light  when  they  started  forth  on  their 

last  morning's  fishing,  and  the   air  was   so   sharp  and 

crisp  that  it  made  their  ears  and  noses  tingle,  and  kept 

them  rubbing  their  hards. 


A  Side  Trip. 


277 


-  li's  cold  enough  to  freeze  the  legs  off  an  iron  pot, 
and  on  again,"  growled  Wood,  his  teeth  chatternig  nn  -ih 
the  cold.     "  I  wish  I  hadn't  turned  out." 

"  You'll  be  warm  enough  when  you  get  to  pulhng  m 
trout,"  suggested  Le  Roy,  "  and  it  will  do  you  good 
to  get  up  in  the  morning.     Give  you  an  appetite  for 

breakfast."  .     .     ,^  i-  i  «. 

"Do   you  call  this  morning?      Why,   it  isnt  light 

vet  " 

''  Put  on  your  glasses.  Wood,"  sang  out  St.  Clair, 

"  or  go  back  to  camp  and  get  a  candle." 

As  only  two  could  fish  in  a  boat,  and  have  casting 
room,  Tadpole  took  Maynard  into  his  canoe,  and  Le 
Rov  and  St.  Clair  were  placed  at  different  points  along 
the' river,  and  by  the  time  it  was  fairly  light  everybody 
was  ready,  and  the  sport  began. 

And  sport  it  proved  to  be.  For  it  seemed  as  if  the 
river  was  alive  with  trout,  and  all  of  them  in  a  famish- 
incr  state.  No  sooner  did  a  fly  light  upon  the  wat.r, 
than  one,  two,  and  sometimes  even  three  trout  rose  to 
the  deceitful  lure,  and  almost  fought  for  the  chance  to 

^"^  ThVfish  were  not  very  large,  however,  and  two-thirds 
the  boys  caught  they  were  enabled  to  land  without  the 
aid  of  their  nets ;  this,  however,  allowed  them  to  take 
more  than  they  otherwise  would,  and  for  nearly  two 
hours  the  party  had  all  the  fishing  they  wanted,  and  at 
six  o'clock  declared  they  had  caught  all  they  could 
take  care  of,  and  they  returned  to  camp. 

"Give  us  some  of  the  trout  for  breakfast,  will  )0U, 
Drake  ? "  asked  Foster,  as  the  cook  began  his  prepara- 


<  ■  1 


Ml 


up  the  North  Branch. 


.  jj^^gi^     '^^^^k 

Hi!  • 

""11 

1  i  :^  ■ 

278 

'•  i      "M'hpre's  an  aching  void 

tions  for  the  morning  meal.        1  here  s 

in  me  that  needs  filling."  ^^^^^ 

"There's  always  an  achmg  void  ^"  J^"'  . 

Robbins,  ^vho  had  heard  Foster's  remark,     but 

generally  in  the  top  of  Y-r  h-d  ^^^.^^^  ^^^^ 

Foster  made  a  rush  for  ^^^  ^^^"f;j^^        ^^^^  ^^ods. 

not  to  be  caught  napping,  and  start.a  into  tne 

.'  I  will,  then,  after  you  get  enough  dressed  for  break 
fast.     How  many  do  you  want  ? " 

"  Thirty  will  be  enough."  ,rd  then 

The  required  number  were  soon  cleaned,  and  then 
wild  counted  the  balance,  and  found  that  there  was 
exactly  four  hundred  left.  ^ 

"  Four  hundred  and  thirty  trout.    That  is  prett>  „oo 
fishing  tor  one  morning,"  said  Wood 

"  I°„ever  had  better  sport  in  my  hfe,"  «P  '^d  r.  ..ke 
as  he  began  frying  the  cleaned  trout,  whue  Tadpole 

took  care  of  the  others.  T^dnnle '  " 

"Where   i.  the  best   place   for  moose,  Tadpole, 
queried  Drake,  while  they  were  eating  breakfast, 
w.nt  to  shoot  a  moose  the  worst  kind.  .     .     „      , 

"Up  to  the  head  ot  the  Big  Lake,  good  place      I 
,    make  moose  born  out  of  birch  bark.     Call  n.oose  close 

"""Is'Itso?     Can  your- queried  Drake,  his  eyes 

sparkling  with  excitement. 


A  Side  Trip. 


279 


— —  Z-     To^^      Tcretvou  bull  moose,  sure. 

"'"^  "°  Z  n^cl^no  'p.    m    one  cent  »he,>  we  get 

No  get  moose,  neta  nut  ij>  jr 

''='*Do  ,.ou  n,ean  Temiscouata,  by  Bi^  Lake,  Tad- 
pole  ?  "  inquired  Claude. 

".Th™    we'll   .'O   there.      I   wouldn't  nnnd  having 

incu  jjVJ  «■"  seven,  and    ran    viie 

rapids   to   the  mo  i  ^^^^     ^^^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^^, 

any  trouble      Aft  r  passmg  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^^ 

deep  and  sluggish,  and  they  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^^ 

the  rest  of  the  distance  to  the  lake,  exu  i 

falls.  ,  f  ^up  virst  Toledi 

Thev  stopped  on  the  west  shore  of  the  H  st 

!;:;::riv:t.r„t  five  o'cioc.  The  ..^ 

falls,  a  mile  ^^ove  Te.mscouata  was  a  ^^J^^^^ 
they  would  have  ""do-btedly  come  ^o  ^^^^^^ 

not  followed  close  m  the  Indian  s  wake, 

in  his  canoe.  nnen  '  "  ex- 

u  By  <rracious,  I   wish    that   camp  VNa=  open. 

claimed^Drake,  as  th^y/^"f  f/,     .  ^^  ^^  -.^  „ot,  and  as 
-  So  do  I,"  echoed  Claude,    but  as  it  is  i  u  , 


\  1  V  'I 

f 

■  !•■ 

'Us 

m 


280 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


no  fellow  in  this  crowd,  I  suppose,  wishes  to  break  into 
it,  the  boys  must  construct  a  shelter  of  some  kind, 
while  we  are  getting  supper.  It  is  so  late,  you  had 
better  help  them,  Tadpole,  and  Rob  and  I  will  find  our 
own  fuel." 

They  passed  an  uneventful  night  where  they  had 
camped,  but  it  was  very  cold,  and  when  they  awoke,  in 
the  morning,  they  looked  out  on  a  dreary,  gray  blank. 
The  lake  had  vanished.  Everything  had  vanished, 
being  concealed  by  the  thick  mist,  which  v^as  almost 
equal  to  rain. 

"  Confound  it,"  crie-'  Claude,  "  I  thought  wc  should 
get  to  the  head  of  the  lake  by  noon,  but  we  are  lucky 
if  we  get  there  by  night." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  inquired  Wood. 

"  I  mean  that  it  is  doubtful  if  this  vapor  lifts  until 
nine  or  ten  o'clock,  and  we  can't  start  until  it  does." 

"  But  the  Indian  knows  the  way  up  the  lake." 

"Yes,  so  do  I.  Follow  the  shore  and  you'll  get 
there,  but  that  is  a  long  road." 

"  We  can  row  by  compass,"  said  Drake. 

"  We  can't  pull  a  very  straight  course,  because,  in 
the  first  place,  we  have  to  guess  at  it.  I  think  the 
cheapest  way  in  the  end  will  be  to  wait  until  the  fog 
lifts,  and  then  we  can  see  where  we  are  going,  and  pull 
a  comparatively  straight  course." 

Most  of  the  party  were  of  Claude's  opinion,  as  they 
knew  that  he  always  leaned  toward  the  safe  side,  and 
it  was  decided  to  get  the  boats  and  canoe  loaded  after 
breakfast,  but  not  to  embark  until  the  lake  was  clear. 

When  one    is  all  ready  to   start   out,  and  force  of 


A  Side  Trip. 


281 


circumstances  necessitates  his  waiting  .t  .s  an  .rk- 
so me  task  ;  and  vhen  nine  o'clock  armed,  and  the  tog 
stm  lay  lo;  with  stubborn  pertinacity,  the  boys  began 

'"■rS'soon  found  that  growling  did  not  help  the 
matter  any,  and,  to  pass  the  time  away,  began  p.iclnng 
quoits,  using  the  most  suitable  stones  they  could  fi.d 
=  n  the  vicinity  for  the  game. 

■  They  worried  through  an  hour  in  this  way,  the 
Indian  taking  a  hand  with  them,  but  still  the  fog  held 
In  and  a  renewed  chorus  of  growls  were  wasted  on  the 

"  Butl  haif  pas.  ten,  when  they  had  about  concluded 
they  were  going  to  have  a  Black  Friday,  or  somethmg 
worse,  the  vapor  began  circling  into  the  air,  and  drtU- 
in,  dmvn  the  lake,  and  in  a  few  moments  as  ■  by 
m^gic,  their  way  was  clear  and  well  defined.  Beh  d 
Them,  however,  a  big  bank  of  the  obnoxious  vapor  11 
concealed  the  shores  in  that  direction  ;  but  for  thi.  they 
did  not  care,  as  they  were  going  the  other  way. 


% 


m 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


MOOSE-SHOOTING. 

"  Thank  the  Lord,  we  can  start,"  remarked  St.  Clair, 
as  the  boats  were  launched.  "  How  far  shall  we  go 
before  dinner  ?     Half-way  ?  " 

"  I-think  we  had  better,"  returned  Claude. 
As  the  boys  did  not  wish  to  run  away  from  Tadpole, 
they  pulled  an  easy  stroke,  and  the  three   boats  and 
the  canoe  kept  along  as  closely  as  they  could  without 
interfering  with  each  other's  sea  room. 

They  saw  a  number  of  loons  - 'lile  going  up  the 
lake,  but  only  a  few  shots  were  fircu  at  them,  and  none 
were  killed.  Every  time  one  of  the  boys  would  fire,  a 
taunting  cry  from  one  of  the  birds  would  come  floating 
towards  the  party,  as  if  these  quick-sighted  water  fowl 
were  laughing  at  them. 

"Those  hard  birds  to  kill,"  cried  Tadpole,  as  he 
noticed  the  futile  efforts  of  the  young  marksmen. 

"  It  is  just  like  shooting  into  a  feather  bed,  to  put  a 
charge  into  one  of  them,"  declared  Le  Roy. 

At  one  o'clock  they  landed  on  the  end  of  a  point 
that  projected  out  from  the  east  shore  of  the  lake,  and 
stopped  there  an  hour  and  a  half  for  dinner. 

After  the  fog  had  lifted  the  sun  had  shone  out 
brightly,  and  the  day  promised  to  be  pleasant.     But 

282 


Moose-Shooting. 


283 


about  noon 

boys  Nvere   ready  to  leave  the  point    where 

taken  their  dinner  it  had  every  appearance  of  rain 


lows 


'1 


remarked 


"  It  is   coins  to  storm  to-night,  f 
CL.ude,  as  the  boats  were  Launched.     ''I  guess  there 
will  be  no  calling  for  moose  to-night. 

^'  It   looks  enough    like   it,"    acquiesced    Maynard, 
.'  -^nd  we  must  build  a  good  camp  to-night.     A  storm  is 
apt  to  last  several  days  at  this  season  of  the  year 
^M   know  good  logging  camp   at   head  of  lake    at 
mouth  of  stream  in  northeast   corner,    said  the  Ind- 

''"'  Isn't  it  full  of   lice  and  fleas  ?  "  questioned  Rob 

'^"fi;::^:;:.rwe  can  see.     Nobody  been  in  it  this 
year,  and  it's  large  enough  for  all.     Yes,  plenty  room 

for  even  more  than  we  are."  n  «  '•  r^ 

-  We  can  inspect  it  and  see  what  it  looks  like,    re- 

marked  Claude. 

The  Swallow  was  under  way  first,  and  the  boys  saw 
that  Tommy  was  up  to  his  old  tricks,  for  he  «^.spered 
TL  woris  to  his  crew,  and  immediately  the  Swal- 
low  dashed  off  a.  a  speed  that  would  have  been  credit- 
able to  one  of  her  swift-winged  namesakes^        ^ 

"So  that  is  yo'.r  sa™e.  Captain  Le  R°y.  '=  ", 
questioned  Foster,  as  the  Pctrets  crew  launched  h.r 

^"' JfTs^eanvbcdy  where  we  stop,  rn  tell  them  you 

are  coming,"  called  back  Tommy  derisively  ^^ 

"  There's  eoin"  to  be  a  race  !  "  cried  Robbms.        m 
with  the  Al^,  fellows.    We  don't  wish  to  be  more 


284 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


L 

u^ 

than  a  thousand  miles  behind  when  those  chaps  run 
ashore  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  Good-bye,  Tadpole, 
old  boy,  see  you  later."  And,  to  the  Indian's  gratifi- 
cation and  amusement,  the  boys  started  off  at  a  pace 
that  left  it  useless  for  him  to  attempt  to  follow  them 
closely. 

In  spite  of  Tommy's  blowing,  he  had  only  been  able 
to  gain  about  six  boat's-lengths  on  the  Petrel  before 
her  crew  had  settled  down  to  business,  and  only  three 
boat's-leng''is  farther  behind  came  the  Daisy. 

Ever  since  the  brush  on  Brassau,  all  of  the  party  had 
been-secreily  longing  for  a  good  chance  for  a  race, 
although  they  would  all  have  preferred  to  pull  when 
their  boats  WL,re  not  loaded ;  but,  as  Tommy  had 
thrown  down  the  gauntlet,  the  other  two  crews  were 
not  only  willing  but  anxious  to  pick  it  up. 

There  was  not  much  wind,  only  a  slight  ripple,  and 
the  water  was  in  good  condition.  The  boats  were 
quite  evenly  loaded,  and  each  carried  about  the  same 
number  of  pounds,  and  there  were  no  drawbacks  for 
any  boat  to  claim  allowance  for.  The  course  was 
about  seven  miles,  and  lay  in  almost  a  straight  line. 

"  Tommy,  if  you  had  kept  your  mouth  "hut  a  little 
longer,  we  should  have  got  about  thirty  or  forty  feet 
more  start  of  those  fellows,"  said  Maynard,  who  was 
watching  the  boats  behind  him. 

*'  I  know  it,  Frank  ;  but,  if  we  had,  then  they  would 
cry  baby  if  we  beat  them." 

*'  Of  course  they  would,  Tommy,"  added  the  stroke 
oarsman  of  the  Swallow.  "  If  we  beat,  we  have  got  to 
do  it  by  over  six   boat-lengths,  which  was  about   the 


Moose-Shooting. 


285 


W> 


rht    all    to   have 


advantage  we    started   witl  ^^ 

drawn  up  in  line  and  started  at  the  same  time. 

Tommy  did  not  make  any  reply,  for  he  felt  the  truth 
of  Win-ate's  remarks,  as  did  also  Maynard,  who  had 
sDoken°to  the  coxswain  without  a  second  thoi  ,  *.. 
Frank  was  a  fair-minded  fellow,  and  had  he  thought 
twice  would  have  spoken  differently. 

The  race  now  became  exciting,  for  the  Datsy  began 
to  gain  a  trifle  on  the  Petrel,  and  in  half  an  hour  was 
even  with  her,  but  St.  Clair  and  Wood  -e-  P^^^ng  a 
very  fast  stroke,  and  ^t  was  a  matter  of  doubt  how 
lono-  they  could  keep  it  up. 

•I-ommy  was  surprised  to  see  the  Da.sy  overhaul  the 
Pdrd  for  he  feared  the  latter  boat  the  most,  but  he 
was  sUU  more  surprised  when  the  Daisy  began  to  lap 
bv  the  Petrd  and  crawl  up  toward  the  Swallow. 
■  He  took  two  or  three  looks  behind  h.m.  and  the    ast 
one  showed  him  the  Daisy  clear  beyond  the   Pdnl, 
:ie  three  feet  ahead,  at  least.     This  fr.ghtened  h,m 
ind  increasing  the  motion  of  h.s  body,  ne  sa.d.     Pull, 
mZ,  pull  for  all  you're  worth.     Don't  let  the  Dauy 

""'Foranother  half-hour  the  Daisy  and  the  Swallow 
were  sent  through  the  water  at  a  tearing  pace,  and  m 

:  time  the  iwallow  had  doubled  the  *---  from 
the  Petrel  and  the  Daisy  was  about  as  far  ahead  of  the 
ji^,wts  the  Swallow  had  been  when  tke  boats  started. 

But  both  Robbins  and  Le  Roy  had  overworked  tl,e,r 
crews  and  the  Daisy  began  to  lag,  .  '.shortly  the 
;Z' was  even  with  her,  while  t^..  Swallow  was  also 
losing  some  of  the  advantage  she  had  gamed. 


|i| 


i'        1^1 


i^  it 


286 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


I 


As  related  in  "Eastward  Ho!"  the  first  volume  of 
this  series,  Foster  had  proved  himself  a  remarkably 
good  coxswain,  and  he  had  forgotten  none  of  his  early 
training.  As  he  looked  at  the  other  boats  at  this  stage 
of  the  race,  and  saw  that  in  less  than  thirty  minutes 
they  would  be  to  the  shore  for  which  they  were  head- 
ing, the  motions  of  his  body  grew  quicker  and  quicker, 
un'til  finally  he  was  giving  his  crew  the  same  stroke  that 
the  other  two  boats'  crews  had  been  pulling  for  the  last 
half-hour. 

The  result  was  that  the  Petrel  began  to  forge  ahead, 
and  ^Tommy.  who  kept  one  eye  over  his  shoulder 
half  the  time,  began  to  get  excited. 

"The  Petrel  \s  gaining  on  us,"  he  cried  to  his  crew, 
and  then  turned  and  took  another  look,  as  if  doubting 
the  evidence  of  his  eyesight  the  first  time. 

But  there  was  no  mistake  about  it,  the  Petrel  was 
overhauling  the  Swallow  fast,  and  Tommy,  in  despera- 
tion, began  paddling. 

"Don't  paddle,  Tommy,"  said  Wingate,  "you  do 
more  hurt  than  you  do  good.  You  notice  Foster  is  not 
paddling.  Just  steer  as  straight  a  course  as  you  can, 
and  we'll  do  our  best.  You  have  made  a  mistake  ;  you 
worked  us  too  hard  in  the  first  of  the  race." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  so,"  acknowledged  Tommy,  as 
he  ceased  paddling.  -"■ 

Foot  by  foot  the  Petrel  crept  up  to  them,  until  her 
bow  was  even  with  the  stern  of  Tommy's  boat,  and 
then,  to  his  chagrin,  the  Petrel  slid  ahead  of  him  and 
passed  the  Swallow  at  a  speed  that  Tommy  thought 
wns  wonderful,  when  he  saw  the  exertions  his  own 
crew  were  making. 


Moose-Shooting. 


287 


A';  the  Pctrd  passed  enlirely  by  the  Swalloxv,  Foster 
turned  around  and  touched  his  1  at  to  Tommy,  and 
said,  "Don't  forget  to  tell  them  we  are  commg, 
Tommy.     Ta,  ta!     See  you  later." 

It  was  painfully  evident  to  Tommy  that  the  Swallow 
had  lost  the  first  place  in  the  race,  and  he  turned  to 
see  where  the  Daisy  was.  One  glance  in  her  direction, 
however,  assured  him  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from 
her  as  she  was  slowly  dropping  behind  all  the  time. 

"'we  shall  beat  the  Daisy,  at  all  eventr."  said 
Tommy,  when  he  felt  sure  of  his  statement. 

"  Yes  and  I  think  we  should  have  beat  the  rdrd 
had  you  followed  Foster's  tactics.  He  has  shown 
better  judgment  in  this  race  than  you  have.  Excuse 
plain  speaking.  Tommy.     Don't  get  mad,  and  do  better 

next  time." 

-  I  don't  intend  to  get  mad,  Charlie.  I  can  see  you 
are  ri-ht,  and  the  Pdrd  will  beat  us  fifty  yards  ^ure. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  boats  were  all  on  shore,  and 
their  tired  crews  walking  about  stretching  their  Innbs. 
The  canoe  of  the  Indian  could  be  seen  two  miles  down 
the  lake,  a  mere  speck  on  the  water. 

The  boys  had  landed  on  the  east  side  of  the  stream, 
and,  as  soon  as  they  were  fairly  rested,  began  looking 
about  for  the  camp. 

"  Here  is  a  path  leading  somewhere,  cried  bt.  Chur, 
who  was  at  the  edge  of  the  woods. 

"  Let  us  follow  it,"  said  Claude. 

It  ran  back  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from 
the  lake,  in  a  half-circle,  that  brought  the  party  in 
sight  of  the  stream,  on  the  bank  of  which  stood  the 


288 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


camp,  a  structure  large  enough  to  accommodate  fifty  or 
sixty  men.  The  building  was  in  very  good  or  ,er,  and 
apparently  contained  all  the  furniture  that  had  been  in 
it  when  last  occupied. 

"Great  guns!  there's  a  stove  here.     Isn't  this  first- 
class,  fellows  ! "  exclaimed  Drake. 

"  Quite  a  uotel,"  acknowledged  St.  Clair. 
"  What  a  lot  of  bunks !  "  said  Wood. 
**  Yes,  Da\x,"  replied  Claude,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  "  you  cav  sleep  in  two  at  the  same  time  if  you  wisn.^' 
The  boys  all  laughed,  and  began  a  general  investi- 
gation of  the  premises,  but  they  found  nothing  in  the 
way  of  provisions,  and  an  old   axe  that  had  seen  its 
best  days  was  all  they  discovered  beside  the  furniture 
and  cooking  utensils. 

The  party  now  returned  to  the  boats  and  paddled  up 
the  river  opposite  the  camp,  and  then  unloaded  them, 
and  by  the  time  Tadpole  av.iv  m1  everything  wa«  under 

cover. 

"  That  was  good  race,"  said  the  Indian,  as  he  began 
unloading  his  birch.     "  All  good  boys  —  pull  strong  — 

but  Petrels  beat." 

"Yes,  the  Petrel  beat  us,"  added   Le  Roy,  "but  we 

gave  them  a  goo^'  trial." 

Drake  and  Ciaude  had  supper  ready  early,  as  Tad- 
pole was  going  out  with  some  of  tlic  party  n^oose-hunt- 
5ng  that  night,  He  explained  to  the  boys  that  it  would 
no't  do  for 'them  all  to  go,  there  were  so  many  of  them, 
and  suggested  that  they  camp  where  they  were  until 
Tuesday  morning,  and  that  he  would  take  three  of  the 
party  out  each  night. 


I  Si 


Rfooxc-S  floating. 


289 


"  The  fellows  a-reed  to  this,  and  drew  lots  after  sup- 
r^r  to  see  who  should  compose  the  first  party.  Six 
vdiite  beans  and  three  colored  ones  were  put  into  a  hat, 
and  .haken  up  a  little,  and  Tadpole  held  it  up  high 
enou-h  to  prevent  the  boys  looking  into  it.  and  then 
each^one  picked  out  a  bean.  Foster,  Drak.  ,  md  St. 
C'air  drew  the  prizes,  and  they  at  once  prepared  for  the 

They  leit  the  camp  about  half  past  seven,  all  armed 
^vith  riries,  the  Indip.n  carrying,  besides,  his  moose-horn, 
with  which  he  hoped  to  coax  a  moose  within  shot. 
Drake  accompanied  the  Indian  in  his  Canoe,  and  Fos- 
ter  and  St.  Clair  went  in  the  Pdrcl. 

Padriling  out  of  the  river  into  the  lake,  they  followed 
the  shore  to  the  north wes.  corner,  and  here  they 
landed,  the  three  bovs  taking  refuge  behind  a  large 
bowlder.  Then  Tadpole  went  into  hi>  canoe  again, 
and  paddled  off  a  few  rods  from  shore,  and  blew  a  long 
blast  with  his  horn.  The  call  echoed  out  through  the 
forest,  but  no  answer  came  back,  save  the  wind  gently 
blowing  across  the  lake  and  rustling  the  lea.es  on  the 

trees  around  them. 

A-ain  Tadpole  sent  out  the  queer  note  to  tempt  the 
curiositv  of  some  old  bull,  and,  after  waiting  a  few 
moments,  repeated  the  call.  The  boys  now  heard  an 
answer,  and  their  blood  began  to  qu.cken.  The  Indian 
a-ain  drevV  the  weird  sounds  from  his  horn,  and  in  a 
fe'w  seconds  another  answer  followed.  Soon  after  this 
they  heard  a  cracking  in  the  forest  off  to  the  left  of 
where  they  lay  hid ;  rifles  were  cocked,  and  hopes 
were  high. 


1 


m 

if 


I 


up  the  North  Branch. 


200 

''::^ii^7Ihdrh^^^^^  Nvhisperccl  St. 

Clair.     "It    is    darker   than    Egypt.     I    cant   sec   tiie 
sights  on  my  rifle." 

"  Nor  I,"  acknowledged  Foster. 
A  few  moments  later  and  the  boys  saw  a  huge,  dark, 
moving  body  emerge  from  the  forest  and  step  out  on 
the    s.Tnd.      The   hunters    were    to   leeward,    and    the 
animal  did  not  scent  them. 

''  Fire  now,"  whispered  St.  Clair,  and  the  three 
nfles  spoke  almost  as  one.  The  animal  wheeled  around 
toward  the  woods,  and  again  the  three  nfles  spoke. 

The  moose  leaped  ahead,  but  did  not  go  four  rods 
before  he  fell  dead.  The  boys,  who  had  sprung  to 
their  feet  gave  a  cheer  when  they  heard  the  crash  as 
te  foresi  monarch  came  to  the  ground,  and  the  next 
n.oment  Tadpole  was  with  them.  He  lit  a  lantern  e 
had  brought  in  his  canoe,  and  then  the  party  started 
toward  tire  moose,  from  whom  they  had  not  heard  a 

sound  since  his  fall. 

They  found  the  animal  lying  on  his  side,  as  de.ul   as 
Julius  Caesar,  and  he  looked  imn.ense  in  the  gloom  of 

the  forest.  ,  ,     ,         ^ .  » 

"  He  bi-  moose  -  weigh  thousand  pounds,  T  guess, 
said  Tadpole.     "  Cut  out  his  tcmgue  to-night,  and  co.ne 
over  and  skin  him  and  cut  him  up  in  the  mornmg. 

''  Hold  your  lantern  close.  Tadpole.     Let's  see  where 
he  was  hit,"  remarked  St.  Clair.  ^  „  ,  ,    ,  .  ^,, 

Upon  examination  they  found  three  bullet  holes  on 
the  uppermost  side,  but  the  huge  brute  was  too  heavy 
to  turn  over,  and  they  could  not  tell  whether  any  other 
shots  had  taken  effect. 


J  loose-  Sh  00  ting. 


291 


The  Indian,  however,  declared  that  the  animal  must 
have  been  hit  in  the  other  side,  as  two  of  the  shots  they 
saw  would  not  have  made  a  fatal  wound. 

After  Tadpole  cut  out  the  tongue  they  returned  to 
camp,  and  found  their  friends  in  their  bunks,  but  not 

asleep. 

"What  luck,  fellows?"  queried  Wood. 

"  Bull  luck,"  answered  Drake.     "  Shot  a  bull  moose." 

"  Honest  Injun  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  can  ask  Tadpole  if  we  didn't,  and 
he's  an  '  honest^njun.'  " 

"Did  you  get  a  moose,  really,  Andrew?"  inquired 
Claude,  rising  up  on  one  elbow  in  his  bunk,  and  facing 

his  friend. 

"True  as  preaching,  Claude,  and  Tadpole  brought 
the  tongue  home  for  breakfast." 

"  Was  he  a  large  one  ?  "  cried  Maynard. 

"The  guide  says  he  will  weigh  a  thousand  pounds," 
answered  Foster. 

"  You're  in  luck  again,  Foster,"  remarked  Tommy 
from  his  corner,  thinking  of  the  beat  race. 

"  It  must  have  been  pretty  dark  for  shooting,"  said 

Robbins. 

"  It  was  as  dark  as  a  stack  of  black  cats,"  asserted 
St.  Clair.  "  All  we  could  see  when  the  moose  came 
out  of  the  woods  was  a  black  spot,  and  we  banged 
away  without  taking  any  particular  aim.  To  tell  you 
the  truth,  George,  I  couldn't  see  the  sights  on  my  rifle. 
But,  then,  the  old  heathen  was  not  over  thirty  feet 
away  when  we  fired,  and  we  had  to  hit  him  somewhere. 
Couldn't  help  it,  you  see." 


U. 


up  the  North  Branch. 


•292 

-f;;;^;^;;;;;— ;;^^y  turned  into  the.r  bunks  it 
beian  to  sprinkle,  and  before  the  boys  fell  asleep  .t 
rained  hard,  and  the  wind  rose  to  nearly  a  gale. 

'  I  .uesswe  shall  have  a  wet  time  eutung  up  tlat 
nroose  in  the  morning,"  remarked  St.  Cla.r,  as  he  hs- 
lened  to  the  howling  of  the  storm. 

"  I  don't  mind  it  in  the  morn.ng,"  returned  Caude, 
.bu!  we  are  fortunate  to  have  such  comfortable  quar- 

'"^r'l^'Sar-nosal.-no  melt;  let  um  r.ain  in 
We  no  su„a  remarked  Tadpole, 

the  morning.     Get  wet      hre  fl  )  ^^^_ 

from  the  Deacon,  seat  by  the  sio^e,  wnere 
ins:  his  last  smoke  before  turnmg  in. 
\  You're  a  philosopher.  Tadpole,"  cried  Wingate. 
"  Um.     So  any  man  no  fool." 

"Come,  keep  your  tongues  still  and  go  to  sleep,  will 
>"  „r<red  Le  Roy.     "  It's  u.ost  nudniglit. 

'  "  All  rS.    l-o'»"»-'"  -P''^"  ^^""=^'''  ""'  "  " 
example."  .  „ 

"  I've  been  quiet  for  fifteen  minutes. 

«  Y-u  are  not  now,"  chuckled  Wood. 

u  Don'!  ZL  so  much  noise,  Tommy,-let  a  fellow 
sleep,  can't  you?"  cried  Robbins 

"  Hold  your  hush  !  "  shouted  Maynard. 

An  imnLse  counterfeit  snore  from  Claude  now  se 
the  fellows  all  laughing,  and  St.  Cla.r  shouted,     Put 

him  out ! " 

"  Snuff  him  !  "  called  Wood. 

"  ExtiMguish  him  !  "  cried  Drake. 

In  the  midst  of  the  hubbub,  Tadpole,  who  was  not 


Moose-Shooting. 


203 


^^^thout  considerable  dry  humor,  arose   from  his  seat 
and  said.  "  Thin-s  nice  and  quiet  now ;  guess  1  turn  in 

and  iio  to  sleep." 

\s  one  could  hardly  hear  his  own  voice  in  the  camp 
at 'that  moment,  Tadpole's  remark  brought  down  the 
house,  and,  amid  a  shout  of  laughter,  Wingate  sang 
out,  ''Good  for  you,  Tadpole,  old  boy;  go  to  sleep 
but   keep  your   eyes  open    and    see   that   you   don  t 

'"^C;  the  boys  became  tired  of  their  frolic  after  a 
while,  and  one  after  another  dropped  otT  in  slumber 

Saturday  morning  found  the  rain  falling  steadi  y, 
but  not  so  hard  as  il  had  during  the  night,  and,  the 
moment  breakfast  was  over,  the  whole  party  wuh  the 
exception  of  Drake  and  Le  Roy,  who  stopped  at  camp 
to  cut  wood,  launched  the  boats  and  pulled  around  to 
the  scene  of  'he  conflict. 

Tadpole  led  the  way  to  where  the  huge  animal  ay 
stretched  out.  From  appearances,  the  moose  had  fallen 
on  his  knees,  and  then  rolled  over  on  his  left  side. 
Wood  was  the  only  one  of  the  party  who  had  never 
seen  a  moose  close  by,  and  he  was  astonished  at  his 

'''-By  gracious!"   he  exclaimed,  «' he's  as  large  as  a 

^"""'hc  big  moose,"  acknowledged  the  Indian,  "but 

have  seen  larger  one."  .i-innincr 

Under  the  Indian's  direction,  they  began  skinning 
the  moose,  and  cutting  him  up,  a  job  that  occtipied 
them  the  greater  part  of  the  time  for  the  next  three 
hours. 


-.  i- 


204 


Up  the  North  Prauch. 


"  1  <;uc^.s  we  shall  liave  meat  cnovigh  now,"  remarked 
\\*()()(1,  as  they  began  to  carry  it  to  Tadpole's  canoe. 

The  antlers  and  skin  were  in  good  condition,  ami 
were  pnt  into  the  yV//v/,  and  'J'adpole  promised  to  take 
care  of  them. 

The  party  arrived  bad  at  the  camp  nt  Iialf  past 
eleven,  and  the  meat  was  properly  taken  care  of,  and 
then  Tadpole,  with  the  help  of  Claude,  Alaynard,  and 
Wingate,  stretched  the  hide  on  one  of  the  walls  of  the 
camp,  outdoors. 

The  rain  had  now  held  up,  but  it  was  too  wet  to 
move-^bout  in  the  voods  much,  and  the  boys  passed 
the  greater  part  of  .he  afternoon  in  cutting  fuel,  and 
bringing  it  into  the  camp,  putting  up  two  or  three  huge 
piles  near  the  stove. 

Before  supper  they  drew  lots  to  see  who  should  form 
the  party  that  night  for  a  moose  hunt,  and  Claude, 
Wood,  and  Maynard  were  the  lucky  ones. 

At  half  past  seven  thoy  left  camp,  and  Tadpole  went 
down  the  lake  this  time  on  the  eastern  side,  until  he 
reached  a  small  cove,  and  at  the  head  of  this  he- 
landed.  Looking  about,  he  noticed  from  which  quarter 
the  wind  came,  and  then  placed  the  boys  in  ambush, 
and,  getting  into  his  canoe,  a  'roke  or  two  of  the 
paddle  carried  it  the  right  distance  away,  and  then  out 
ujxjn  the  stillness  of  the  night  rolled  the  queer  call 
from  the  big  birch  moose  horn. 

When  Wood  heard  it  the  first  time,  he  jumped  as  if 
he  had  been  shot,  and  his  companions  were  greatly 
pleased,  and  perpetrated  a  few  quiet  jokes  at  his 
expense. 


Moose-Shoot  i  11^^. 


295 


After  the  Indian  had  been  callin-  some  fifteen 
minutes,  ihev  heard  an  an.wcr,  and  the  n..ise  NNas 
repeated  from  time  to  time  by  the  old  buU,  as  he 
thought  he  was  listening  to  his  lady  love. 

Nearer  came  the  responses  from  the  forest,  until  by 
the  sound  Ihev  judged  the  moose  would  soon  be  on 
the  lake  shore,  the  signal  for  firing,  uhen  suddenly  an 
onl  that  had  lit  in  a  tree  almost  over  their  heads  came 
out  with  a  "tu  xvhit,  tu  xvhit,  tu  vvhoo!"  and  Wood 
jumped  a  foot  into  the  air,  his  rirte  going  off  at  ran- 
dom, and  the  old  moose  turned  and  made  tracks  ui  the 
opposite  direction. 

Claude  and  Maynard  were  both  mad,  but  they  could 
not  help  laughing  to  save  their  lives,  and  they  roared 
until  the  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks.  The  Indian 
piddled  to  shore,  and  was  disappointed  at  the  way  the 
thin-  had  turned ;  he  said  it  would  be  no  use  to  try 
again  that  night,  and  they  started  back  to  camp,  reach- 
im^  it  at  nine  o'clock. 

None  of  the  party  had  retired,  and  when  the  camp 
door  opened  and  the  hunters  suddenly  appeared  they 
were  besieged  with  questions. 
"  Did  you  see  any  g-me  ?  " 
"  Did  you  slioot  a  moose  ?  " 
"  What  luck  ?  " 
'•  Were  you  successful  ?  " 
"Where  did  you  go?" 

These  were  a  few  of  the  questions  that  were  fired  at 
them  by  their  friends  in  camp,  and,  as  soon  as  Claude 
could  hear  himself  speak,  he  said  with  a  laugh :  — 
*'  Maynard  and  I  had  the  buck  fever,  and  did  not 


290 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


■ ! 


fire.  Dave  was  the  only  one  of  the  party  that  pulled 
tri'2jger.  but  I  doubt  if  he  shot  anythinjj,"  and  then  the 
speaker  went  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  in  which  he  was 
joined  by  Maynard  and  Tadpole,  while  Wood  looked 
as  glum  as  a  hired  mourner  it  an  old  English 
funeral. 

"  You  seem  to  be  mighty  pleased  about  something, 
Claude.  What  is  it  ?  Don't  keep  it  all  to  yourself," 
said  Wingate. 

"  Ask  Dave,"  returned  Claude,  as  he  hung'  up  his 
ritle. 

"What  is  the  joke,  Dave?"  inquired  St.  Clair. 
•'  You  don't  act  as  if  there  was  any  fun  in  it.'* 

"  Dave  can't  see  where  the  laugh  comes  in."  ex- 
plained Maynard. 

"No,  I  can't,"  retorted  Wood.  "There  was  a  con- 
founded old  owl  in  a  tree  over  our  heads,  and  he  made 
such  an  infernal  noise,  it  startled  me  a  little,  and  my 
ritle  went  off  accidentally,  and  frightened  ihe  moose 
away." 

A  shout  of  laughter  rang  through  the  camp  at  Dave's 
explanation. 

"  Did  you  shoot  the  owl,  Dave  ? "  inquired  Foster, 
when  the  laughter  had  subsided  a  little. 

"No.  But  I  would  have  killed  him  if  I  could," 
replied  Wood,  savagely. 

Maynard  gave  a  more  detailed  explanation  of  how 
they  had  lost  the  moose,  or,  rather,  lost  the  chance 
of  having  a  shot  at  him,  and  his  graphic  description  of 
the  event  set  the  whole  parly  into  another  shout  of 
laughter,  in  which  Wood  finally  joined  himself,  although 


Moose-  S J  loot  in  c^. 


207 


at  first  disposed  to  resent  Frank's  hunicrous  account  of 
the  night's  incident. 

Sunday  morning  the  boys  slept  late,  and  it  was  ten 
o'clock  when  they  were  through  breakfast.  Claude  and 
Foster  were  the  cooks  for  that  week,  Drake's  lime  hav- 
ing expired  Saturday  night,  and  Claude  announced 
after  the  morning  meal  that  he  should  not  get  dinner 
until  four  o'clock,  and  if  anybody  was  hungry  in 
the  meantime  he  might  eat  whatever  he  could  find 
cooked. 

It  was  a  rough  cold  day,  with  frequent  snow  squalls 
of  short  duration,  and  the  party  were  glad  to  slay  in- 
doors, passing  the  time  in  reading  and  singing. 

Tadpole,  however,  started  out  after  breakfast,  and 
did  not  return  until  nearly  four  o'clock,  and  was  just  in 
time  for  dinner.  He  had  been  tramping  for  about  six 
hours,  and  was  as  hungry  as  a  bear  in  the  spring. 

"Um,  dinner  smell  good,"  he  remarked,  as  he  drew 
up  to  the  stove  to  warm  himself. 

"It  will  be  ready  in  ten  minutes,"  said  Claude. 
"  You  came  just  at  the  right  time." 

♦'  Where  have  you  been,  Tadpole  ?  "  inquired  May- 

nard. 

"Been  looking  for  signs.  Find  lots.  Game  thick 
around  here.     Moose,  caribou,  deer,  bear,  and  foxes." 

"  Any  owls  ?  "  queried  Drake,  with  a  glance  toward 
Wood. 

"  Oh,  let  up  on  the  owl  business,  can't  you  ?  "  asked 

Dave. 

"  I  hope  you  yarded  a  moose  fo;  us,  and  will  keep 
him  all  night  until  to-morrow  nigh%"  said  Le  Roy. 


I 
I 


I 

>  ■ 


i] 
Ji 


298 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


"  Guess   we   fin<i  inoos'j  to-morrow  night,  sure."  an- 
swered the  hidian,  loc.kin-  as  if  he  felt  pretty  jeriaiu 

of  it. 

'I'hat  ovoninj;  the  boys  had  another  concert,  introduc- 
ini^  a  nuniber^of  hymns  from  the  Moody  and  Sankey 
coUection,  and  Tadpole  was  delighted.  The  Indian 
would  have  been  glad  to  have  listened  to  the  music  all 
night  if  he  could  only  have  kept  the  boys  up,  but  at 
eleven  o'clock  Le  Roy  said  that  he  was  tired  enough  to 
go  to  bed,  and  he  started  ;  the  others  followed,  for  they 
were  all  getting  sleepy. 

Monday  morning,  after  breakfast,  Foster,  Drake,  and 
Wood  took  the  /V/rt-/ and  went  out  on  the  lake  duck- 
ing, and  had  quite  an  unpleasant  experience.  For 
ab^out  ten  o'clock  the  wind,  having  come  out  from  the 
northwest,  had  increased  to  a  gale,  and  a  frightful  sea 
was  running  on  the  lake,  ren."  ing  it  impossible  for 
them  to  get  back  to  camp  until  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  the  only  food  they  had  during  the  day  was 
a  couple  of  ducks  that  .hey  half  roasted  over  a  tire  on 
the  beach.  They  had  very  good  luck  in  shooting,  how- 
ever, and  returned  with  nineteen  black  ducks  and  six 
wood  ducks,  which  were  all  fine  eating. 

Maynard,  St.  Clair,  and  Tadpole  went  out  on  one  of 
die  logging  roads  to  shoot  partridges,  and  returned  to 
camp  at  noon  with  thirteen. 

Robbins,  Wingate,  and  Le  Roy,  who  were  going 
with  Tadpole  in  the  evening  after  a  moose,  started 
off  together  afier  breakfast  to  see  if  they  could 
find  any  large  game;  they  saw  plenty  of  tracks  of 
deer  and  caribou,  but  did  not  find  the  animals   that 


m 


1 1.' 


Moose-  SJiootiu}!^. 


t?oy 


had  nude  them,   and   they   reiurned  to  dinner  empty- 
handed. 

"CiO  down  to  the  lake,  will  you,  Krank,"  said  Claude, 
when  dinner  was  ready,  as  he  began  to  place  the  ff)od 
on  the  table,  "and  see  if  you  can  see  anyth'Mg  of  the 
Fctreir 

"  I  go,"  offered  Tadpole,  and  he  was  off  like  an  arrow. 

"If  they  went  any  distance  down  the  lake,  they 
can't  get  back  till  night,"  remarked  Maynard,  "  for  the 
wind  is  blowing  a  gale,  and  it  must  be  awful  rough. 
Tlie  wind  vvould  be  dead  ahead  for  them,  and  it  would 
be  hard  pulling  against  it." 

That  is  a  fact,  Frank,  and  I  don'i  believe  they  will 
return  very  early.  It  would  be  a  bad  joke  if  the  wind 
don't  go  down  with  the  sun,  and  they  should  be  wind- 
bound  all  night.     I  am  afraid  they  would  suffer  with  the 

cold." 

"  And  nothing  to  eat,  unless  they  shoot  som.e  ducks." 

"  By  Jove,  Frank,  you  are  right.  I  guess  they  will 
be  hungry  when  they  get  back." 

"  See  um  smoke  way  down  the  lake  on  leeward 
shore,"  announced  the  Indian,  as  he  entered  the  camp. 
"  Big  waves,  wind  blow  crazy,  lake  all  whitccaps.  No 
get  back  till  wind  stops  blowing." 

"  Then  we  may  as  well  have  dinner  fellows,  as  there 
is  no  probability  of  their  joining  u. .  If  they  have  a 
fire  going,  they  have  probably  shot  something,  and  are 
trying  'o  cook  it." 

"Ducks  cooked  without  salt,  butter,  or  pepper  are 
pretty  poor  eating,"  remarked  Robbins,  as  the  boys 
drew  up  to  the  table. 


*  <  I 

i  ; 


300 


Up  the  North  Brunch. 


"  Better  than  wind    puddinj;,"    sagely  answered  Le 

Roy. 

After  dinner,  Robbins,  Wingatc,  and  Le  Roy  started 
out  again,  saying  they  were  going  for  a  caribou  this 
time,  and  meant  to  bring  one  back  with  them. 


M 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FIGHT   WITH    A   CATAMOUNT. 

Leaving  the  camp,  they  headed  for  the  Toledi 
River,  which  was  only  a  few  miles  distant  in  an  easterly 
direc  n,  and  in  a  little  over  an  hour  reached  it,  and 
then  followed  up  the  western  bank  a  short  distance 
until  they  reached  a  runway,  or  trail,  made  by  larj;e 
crame  in  crossing  from  the  Toledi  to  the  head  of  the 

'  They  placed  themselves  in  ambush  on  the  leeward 
side  of  the  trail,  about  a  rod  apart,  and,  lying  down, 
bt-an  watching  for  game.  They  had  agreed  to  shoot 
at  nothing  but  a  deer,  moose,  bear,  or  caribou.  It  was 
to  be  a  still  hunt,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken  even  m 

whispers.  ,    .       , 

About  half  an  hour  after  they  had  taken  their  places 
a  common  red  fox  trotted  along  with  a  dead  partridge 
in  his  mouth,  and  each  fellow  felt  as  if  he  would  like  to 
f  re  at  Revnard,  but,  knowing  that  the  report  of  their 
rifles  might  frighten  away  larger  game,  they  resisted 
the  temptation,  and  let  the  fox  go  his  way  unharmed. 

Another  half-hour  slipped  by,  and  during  a  lull  m 
the  wind  they  heard  a  noise  of  some  animal  ap.)roach- 
in-  from  the  west  of  them.  Robbins  was  the  left-hand 
man,  Wingate  in  the   centre,  he  being  considered  the 

301 


802 


Vp  the  Xorth  D ranch. 


best  shot,   and   Le   Roy  had  the   ri-lu-hand   posiiion, 
nearest  the  'I'oledi. 

As  the  sound  came  nearer,  they  all  cocked  th<  ir 
ritles  and  made  ready  to  shoot. 

The  animal  proved  to  be  a  large  buck  deer,  and  Rob- 
bins  fired  without  arresting  his  course,  but  Winga'.e 
brought  him  down.  He  did  not  kill  the  animal,  how- 
ever, for  the  buck  struggled  to  its  feet,  and  just  as  it 
stood  upright  an  animal  of  a  dark  brown  color,  a  little 
lar^'r  than  a  fox,  junv^ed  from  the  limb  of  a  tree  near 
them,  and,  alighting  on  the  deer's  back,  bore  it  to  the 

ground. 

The  young  hunters  bad  sprung  to  their  feet,  when 
they  saw  the  deer  was  not  killed,  and  ;  ingate  was 
about  to  fire  again,  when  he  nolicen  this  dark  body 
shooting  through  the  air,  and  saw  it  take  the  deer 
dov\n.  Then,  instead  of  firing  at  the  deer,  he  fired  at 
the  strange  animal,  wounding  it  slightly. 

The  next  momert  the  boys  heard  such  a  yell  or 
screech  as  they  hau  never  heard  before  in  their  lives,  and 
the  animal  sprang  tor  Wingaie,  who  stood  about  fifteen 

feet  away. 

Charlie  saw  it  coming  and  dodged  behind  a  large 
tree,  just  in  time  to  get  out  of  the  animal's  way,  and  as 
the  savage  beast  struck  the  ground  he  fired  at  it,  strik- 
ing it  in  the  fore  shoulder. 

The  brute  was  as  quick  as  lightning  in  its  move- 
ments, for,  before  Wingate  could  fire  the  second  time,  it 
had  sprung  at  '  -m  again,  this  time  striking  him  in  tliC 
breast,  and  knocking  him  flat,  his  rifle  falling  out  of  his 
hands,  beyond  his  reach. 


Fight  ivith  a  Catamount. 


ao3 


He  came  down  on  his  back  with  such  a  thunii>  that 
it  nearly  knocked  the  breath  out  of  iiim,  but  he  had 
strength  enough  left  to  draw  his  hunting  knife  and 
make'' a  jab  at  the  fierce  brute,  that  was  leaiing  his 
clothes  to  tatters  and  scratching  hia  body  badly  be- 
sides. 

If  he  had  been  alone  it  would  have  been  the  end  of 
his  fishing  and  hunting  excursions,  but  Robbins,  with 
much  pre'^ence  of  mind,  la^  .:  on  his  stomach,  as  he 
saw  it  was  impossible  to  fire  at  .le  animal  while  stand- 
ing without  great  danger  of  hitting  Wingate,  and,  watch- 
ing his  chance,  fired  and  made  a  handsome  shot,  sending 
a  bullet  through  the  animal's  head,  killing  it  instantly. 
Ic  rolled  off  of  Winrjate  and  lay  all  in  a  heap,  it  not 
having  life  enough  lett  even  to  straighten  itself  out. 

VVliile  Robbins  was  getting  on  his  feet,  Le  Roy,  drop- 
ping his  rifle,  rushed  up  to  Wingate,  and,  seizing  his 
right  hand,  assisted  him  to  rise. 

""  My  stars,  Charlie,  it's  a  wonder  that  beast  didn't 
kill  you.  Why,  you  are  scratched  all  up.  He  has 
taken  about  all  the  skin  of!  your  breast." 

"  Yes,  and  a  little  of  the  flesh,  too,  I  ^uess,  by  the 

feeling." 

"  My  gracious  !  "  exclaimed  Robbins,  »  your  shirts 
are  torn  to  tatters,  and  your  breast  looks  as  if  some- 
body had  been  lashing  you.  You  will  have  to  be 
mighty  careful  or  you  will  take  cold  in  those  wounds." 

"That's  so.  I  owe  my  life  to  you,  old  boy,  and  I 
shall  not  forget  it.  That  de^il  would  have  torn  aie 
all  to  pieces  but  for  your  lucky  shot." 

"  Let's  ^o  to  the  river  and  v.  ash  the  blood  off  of  you, 


^  t| 


n 


ill 


-«:■.*: 


« :  « 


304 


Up  tL:  North  Branch. 


I 


Charlie,"  said  I.e  Roy,  "  and  then  we  can  see  how  bad 
you  are  hurt." 

"  All  right,  old  fellow.  I  am  only  badly  scratched,  I 
guess,  bu't  that  brute  was  getting  in  his  work  lively 
when  George  knocked  him  over.  I  shoved  my  hunting 
knife  into  him  once  clear  to  the  hilt,  and  he  did  not 
seem  to  mind  it  any  more  than  if  I  had  stuck  a  pin  into 
him.     It's  lucky  I  was  not  alone." 

The  river  was  only  a  few  rods  from  them,  and  when 
they  reached  it  Le  Roy  took  Wingate's  handkerchief 
and  washed  the  blood  away,  and  they  saw  that  the  skin 
was  torn  off  of  i  large  part  of  his  breast,  and  quite  a 
number  of  pieces  of  flesh,  leaving  small  furrows,  had 
been  dug  out  by  the  animal's  fearful  claws. 

"  Perhaps  that  don't  smart,"  remarked  Wingate,  as 
he  looked  at  his  wounded  body. 

"  I'll  bet  it  does,"  said  Le  Roy,  "but  you  must  be 
careful  and  not  take  cold  in  it.  Let  me  have  your 
handkerchief,  George,  and  I'll  put  it  with  mine,  and 
double  them  both  and  lay  them  over  the  wounded  place, 
then  you  can  button  your  hunting  jacket  tightly  over  it. 
It's  lucky  you  kept  that  v/hole." 

Tommy  did  all  he  could  for  his  friend,  and  then  they 
returned  to  where  the  dead  animals  lay,  for  the  buck 
had  never  risen  after  the  wild-cat,  as  the  boys  con- 
cluded to  call  the  savage  animal,  had  brought  it  to  the 

ground. 

Robbins  picked  up  Wingate's  riHe,  and  Tommy  his, 
and  they  started  slowly  for  camp,  as  Wingate  did  not 

feel  like  hurrying. 

"  We  can  send  Tadpole  over  here  to  bring  that  animal 


nght  with  a  Catamount. 


305 


to  camp,"  remarked  Robbins,  "  and  he  will  know  what 
it  is." 

"And  the  buck,  too,"  added  Le  Roy.  *' We  don't 
want  to  leave  his  carcass  here  to  spoil," 

The  party  did  not  make  very  rapid  progress,  and  it 
was  half  past  four  when  they  reached  camp.  In  siglit 
of  the  building  they  were  joined  by  Maynard,  St.  Clair, 
and  Tadpole,  who  each  had  a  string  of  partridges, 
showing  the  way  their  time  had  been  occupied  since 
dinner. 

*'  Did  you  shoot  anything.,  fellows  ?  "  inquired  St.  Clair, 
as  the  two  parties  met. 

*'  I  should  say  we  did,'"  answered  Robbins.  "  We 
killed  a  buck,  and  some  fierce  sort  of  an  animal  that 
fought  like  a  tiger." 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Charlie  ? "  queried  Maynard. 
♦'  You  look  pale." 

*'  Then  I  look  as  I  feel,"  returned  Wingate.  "  I  came 
mighty  near  being  rubbed  out.  Guess  I  should  have 
been  only  for  Robbins.** 

"  Great  Scott  •!  you  don't  mean  it ! "  exclaimed  St. 
Clair.     '*  Come  into  camp,  and  tell  us  about  it." 

"His  wounds  must  be  attended  to  first,"  said  Le  Roy. 
"You  never  saw  such  a  sight  as  his  breast  is.  I  only 
hope  he  won't  take  cold." 

"I  say,  Tadpole,"  remarl  e d  Robbins,  as  the  party 
entered  the  camp,  "  don't   you   know  anything  about 
doctoring  ?     I  think  Charlie's  wound  needs  something 
more  than  cold  water.     His  flesh  is  scratched  and  ton 
fearfully." 

"  My  father  was  great  Indian  doctor.  Me  look  at 
him  hurts,  perhaps  me  cure  him." 


\   \ 


I'p  the  North  Branch. 


30G 

;      ffKU    KckeT  and   lav  down  in  bis 

Wincrnte    tOOk    ott    WA      jaCKCl,  '  . 

V  "   ^  1  U  friends  -atliered  about  him.  while   the 
bunk,  and  his    r  ends  ,,,„,ination    of    his 

Indian    proceeded    to    make 

wounds.  j^j^  ^^^,1     had  be- 

lucky  escape;  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^         ,  shirts  and  keep 
your  throat  open      Put  on    o        g^^^^    ^^^^^^_      ^^^^^ 

covered  up,   and  I    ^0  an      b  „  without 

U„i,^ent  in  two  hours  that  wil    help  >ou, 
further  words  the  Indian  left  the  camp. 

nists  must  have  telt  when  they  -re  sea  ped,    remarWecl 
VVingate,  wUh  a  faint  attempt  a   a    .mle.       ^^  ^  ^^^  ^^^ 
"  I  am  awfully  sorry  for  >     ,  ^^^^^  ^^^^.^ 

do  everythmg  possible  Cor  you      1  ^  ^^^^^ 

what  the  hunters  up  here  call  an     Incuai. 

'^^.!'lf  r ^^e^n^i:"  or  the  e. 
Uinlte/-foritwasascpucUasl,.M,n,,^^ 

CO'.     .  nl>nx  or  '  years' 

en  .-   •     to   frighten    a   fellow    out   of    a  seven   > 


gro 


-his  is  the  worst  accident  any  of  us  have  ever  met 


Fight  with  a  Catamount. 


807 


Avith.  You  have  come  out  of  this  flight  in  a  ^vorse 
shape  than  Adams  did  with  the  bear,"  remarked  Chn:de, 
refcrrinnj  to  an  incident  that  happened  to  one  of  the 
party  when  on  their  trip  down  the  West  Branch. 

♦*Jack  was  not  scratched  near  so  badly  as  Charlie 
is,"  said  St.  Clair.  "  You  are  going  to  carry  the  marks 
of  your  scrimmage  a  long  while,  even  after  your  wounds 
heal  up.  It  seems  sometliing  providential  that  the 
brute  did  not  tear  your  throat." 

**  He  would  if  George  had  not  shot  him  just  as  he 
did,"  and  Wingate  reached  nit  his  left  hand  toward 
Robbins,  who  took  it  in  both  of  his,  and  gave  it  ?> 
warm  squeeze. 

"  It's  lucky  George  fired  when  he  did,"  remarked 
Le  Roy,  "for  I  was  so  excited  I  was  just  going  to  fire 
from  where  I  stood,  and,  if  I  had,  I  should  have  proba- 
bl}  shot  you  as  well  as  the  animal." 

"  How  did  the  affair  happen,  any  way  ? "  inquired 
Claude. 

•'  Yes,  give  us  the  .particulars,"  added  Maynard. 

Le  Rev  then  told  the  story,  giving  all  the  facts  in 
the  case,  and  the  boys  all  declared  that  Robbins  had 
shown  great  presence  of  mind,  in  the  way  he  had  killed 
the  brute. 

Just  then  Tadpole  returned  with  a  water  pail  full  of 
roots  and  herbs,  and,  taking  a  small  iron  kciile,  he  put 
a  quart  of  water  into  it,  and  set  it  on  the  stove  to  boil. 

*'  Want  good  fire  now,  Cap'n  Claude,"  remarked 
Tadpole,  who  frequently  addressed  Claude  as 
"  Cap'n."  • 

"  All  right,  Tadpole.     Tend  to  your  roots  and  herbs, 


up  the  North  Branch. 


i'iil| 

1. 

1 

i 

vfjawa  ,t:.mi: 

1 

■ 

r 


808  

stuffed  the  stove  full  of  small  dry  ^vood. 

-  I  wonder  if  those  fellows  are  going  to  get  nome 
to-night?  "  queried  St.  Clair.  "  It  is  n.ost  dark  now. 
How  was  the  wind.  Tadpole  ?     Died  away  any  ? 

"  Wind  changed.  Blow  from  the  south  now.  lhe> 
get  home  all  right,  but  we'll  have  big  storm  to-mor- 

"  Do  you  think  so  ? "  inquired  Le  Roy. 

"Know   so,   if   wind   don't   change    again    at    mid- 

"'^Jf'hope  those  ^.llows  will  get  here  by  seven 
o'clock,"  remarked  Claude.  "  I  want  them  to  have  a 
hot  supper,  for  I  don't  imagine  they  had  much  of  a 

'^"'m  would  not  have  supper  until  they  come,"  proposed 
Le  Roy  "  No  matter  if  it  is  late.  I  don't  know  how 
George  feels,  but  I  don't  care  to  go  out  after  moose  to- 
ni^dit?  now  that  Charlie  can't  go."  _ 

^'  Never  mind  me,  fellows,"  spoke  up  Wingate.  ^^     Go 
out  and  have  your  fun.     No  matter  if  I  can't  go. 

"  Not  if  I   know  myself,"  returned  George,  warmly. 

-  I  want  Tadpole  to  stay  here  and  look  after  you. 

"  But  1  don't  wish  to  spoil  your  pleasure,     expostu- 

lated  Wingate.  Tin 

»  You  are  only  wasting  your  breath,  Charlie.     I  shall 

not  go  an  inch,"  returned  Kobbins. 

-  Mv  sentiments,  exactly,"  acquiesced  Le  Roy. 

It  was  now  half  past  six,  and  Claude  began  to  get 
supper  under  way.  Tadpole  had  mixed  alMns  ingre- 
dients and  had  them  steeping,  and  stirred  the  mixture 


Fidit  iviiJi  a  Catauwiuit. 


300 


from  time  to  time,  tasting  occasionally,  to  determine  its 

strength. 

"  I  am  going  down  to  the  lake,"  announced   May- 
nard,  "to  see  if  I  can  hear  anything  of  the  boys." 

"  It  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  to  build  up  a  small  fire 
on  the  shore,"  suggested  Claude.  "They  will  know 
some  of  us  have  kindled  it,  and  they  can  steer  a 
straighier  course  then." 

"  Quite  right,"  agreed  Maynard,  and,  taking  an  axe 
and  lantern,  he  went  out,  accompanied  by  St.  Clair,  who 
had  offered  to  go  with  him. 

Wlien  the  two  boys  cleared  the  shelter  of  the  woods, 
they  found  the  wind  was  blowing  very  hard,  and  it  was 
too  dark  to  distinguish  so  small  an  object  as  the  Pdrd 
any  great  distance  away. 

It  took  them  fifteen  minutes  to  prepare  the  material 
for  a  bonfire,  but  in  that  time  they  collected  a  good 
pile  of  the  drift  stuff  which  fringed  the  shore  near  them, 
and,  having  found  a  little  dry  birch  bark,  they  applied  a 
lighted  match,  and  in  a  few  moments  more  a  royal 
blaze  was  leaping  into  the  air,   lighting  up  all  around 

them. 

Five  minutes  afterward,  they  heard  the  faint  report 
of  a  rifle,  followed  by  two  more  at  short  intervals,  ai.d 
they  judged  their  friends  saw  the  beacon  they  had 
kindled,  and  wished  to  notify  them  of  it. 

They  threw  several  more  large  sticks  on  the  fire,  and 
then  went  to  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  sat  down 
behind  a  large  bowlder,  which  sheltered  them  from  the 

wind. 

"  They  will  be  here  soon,"  remarked  Maynard,  *'  for 


11 


up  the  North  Branch. 


010 

they  were  o„l7u^n"<=^  ''°""  "»"  '"'^''^  "°°"'  '° 
Tadpole  said."  .      ,  ,      .    .         . 

"  I  hope  they  will,"  returned  St.  Clair,  "  for  u  .s  get- 

tin"' uncomfortably  cold." 

They  remained  behind  the  bowlder  for  fifteen  m,n- 
utes,  and  then  went  out  to  replenish  the  fire. 

As  they  aporoached  it,  they  heard  a  shout  from  he 
water,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  they  were  enabled  to 
make  out  the  Pclrd,  which  was  commg  sw.ftly  tow.  d 
them,  now  on  top  of  a  huge  roller,  and  then  m  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  out  of  sight. 

'•!  believe  the  wind  blows  harde.   every  moment, 
said  Maynard,  as  a  huge  roller  tumbled  up  on  the  sands 
wetting  their  feet  a  little,  before  they  had  l.me  to  evade 

"■ "  I  think  so  myself,"  acknowledged  St.  Clair, ;'  and  I 
guess  it  will  blow  up  a  storm  before  it  changes. 

"  They  will  have  to  tumble  out  of  the  boat  hvely 
when  they  land,  or  she  will  be  swamped.     Just  see  that 

bi<^  wave  coming  in." 

"^^  That  is  a  rouser,"  replied  St.  Clair,  and  the  boys 
stepped  back  a  few  paces  to  clear  it. 

-Here  they  are,"  shouted  Maynard,  and,  a  moment 
later,  the  Petreh  riding  like  a  duck,  came  in  on  top  of 
another  huge  roller,  and  her  crew  sprang  out  and  ran 
her  well  up  on  the  beach,  to  avoid  the  undertow. 

-  HuUoa,  Frank  !  hulloa,  Andre^. !  "  exclaimed  Fos- 
ter, as  he  noticed  his  friends  on  tb  beach,  "  how  is  this 
for  a  rough  night !  I'll  be  hanged  if  1  ever  saw  it  blow 
as  hard  from  two  different  directions  ^^;^  ^^^^  ^^"^^j  • 
First  a  hurricane  from  the  northwest,  and  then  a  gale 


ndit  ivifh  a  Catmnount. 


311 


t 
if 
a 

Si- 
is 
w 

y- 

le 


from  the  south.  My  stars !  I  thought  wc  would  be 
swamped  before  we  reached  here.  The  waves  are  fearful 
out  on  the  lake,  and  they  are  growing  worse  all  the 
time.  I  was  mighty  glad  when  1  saw  the  flame  of 
your  fire  shoot  up  into  the  air.     It  was  a  capital  point 

to  steer  for  " 

"Yes,  we  thought  it  would  be  a  help  to  you, 
and  so  came  down  and  built  it.  Shot  a  few  ducks,  I 
see,"  and  Frank  stepped  up  to  the  boat,  where  Wood 
was  taking  them  out. 

«We  managed  to  get  twenty-five,  and  we  should 
have  brought  home  more  if  we  had  not  been  wind- 
bound."  ,  ^ 

"A  little  hungrys  ain't  you,  fellows?"  insinuated  bt. 

Clair. 

"  A  little !  You  wait  until  I  get  to  the  table,  and 
you'll  find  out  whether  I  am  hungry  or  not,"  observed 
brake.  "I  believe  I  could  eat  railroad  spikes,  if 
there  was  nothing  else." 

"  That  wouldn't  do.  They  would  lie  hard  on  your 
stomach,"  laughed  Maynard. 

"What   have   the  rest  of  you  been  doing  to-day? 

inquired  Drake. 

"Frank  and  Tadpole  and  I  have  been  out  twice 
after  partridges,  and  Robbins,  Wingate,  and  Le  Roy 
went  out  after  dinner  and  shot  a  buck  and  a  panther, 
or  some  other  kind  of  a  ferocious  beast,  and  it  sci^.ched 
Charlie  very  badly." 

"  You  don't  mean  it,"  said  Foster. 

"When   you   see    Charlie  you'll  think  I    do.     The 
brute  jumped  on  him  and  knocked  him  down,  tors  his 


I 


312 


Up  the  North  Branch, 


shirts  all  to  strings,  and  scratched  his  breast  all  up. 
There  are  three  or  four  awful  gashes  on  it.  We  should 
never  have  seen  him  alive  again  if  George  had  not 
shot  the  confounded  thing." 

"Where  did  they  run  across  it?"  queried  Drake. 

"  Over  near  the  Tolcdi,  about  a  couple  of  miles  from 
camp.     Tadpole  is  making  some  liniment  now  to  put  on 

his  wounds." 

♦'  By  gracious !  that  was  a  rough  experience  !  "  ex- 
claimed Wood,  looking  nervously  about  him,  as  if  he 
feared  some  other  savage  beast  might  appear  suddenly 
from  the  forest  and  attack  them. 

The  boys  now  took  care  of  the  boats,  placing  them 
in  a  sheltered  nook,  where  they  would  neither  be  blown 
away  nor  filled  with  water  by  the  gigantic  waves  that 
were  thundering  along  the  shore,  and  being  driven  higher 
up  every  few  moments  by  the  strong  south  wind.  Then, 
Maynard  leading  with  the  lantern,  the  party  made 
their  way  to   the  camp  through  darkness  that  could 

almost  be  felt. 

"  What  in  the  world  have  you  been  doing,  Charlie  ? " 
cried  Foster,  rushing  up  to  the  bunk  where  Wingate 
was  lying,  and,  taking  his  hand,  he  gave  it  a  friendly 

grasp. 

"  Had  a  little  encounter  with  an  animile,  as  one  of 
those  guides  used  to  say  at  the  Androscoggin  Lakes, 
and  I  received  hard  usage." 

"That  is  too  bad.  Hope  you  will  get  over  it  all 
right.     Are  you  in  any  pain  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  can  exactly  call  it  pain,  but  my 
flesh  smarts  all  the  time,  just  as  a  cut  does  when  you 


Fight  with  a  Catamount. 


313 


pour  alcohol  on  it,"  and  a  grimace  shot  across  Charlie's 

facp. 

♦'Well,  if  you  don't  call  that  pain,  I  should  say  it 
had  a  mighty  close  resemblance  to  it.  1  )id  your  wounds 
bleed  much  ?  " 

"  Consideiable.     But  not  enough  to  weaken  me  any 

from  loss  of  blood." 

"Well,  it's  a  mean  shame,  old  fellow,  and  I  wish 
there  was  something  I  could  do  for  you  to  make  you 
more  comfortable." 

Wood  and  Drake  also  expressed  their  sympathy  in 
the  kmdliest  terms,  and  were  very  sorry  for  the  mishap 
to  their  friend. 

•'  Supper  is  ready,  fellows,"  announced  Claude.  "  Do 
you  feel  like  coming  to  the  table,  Charlie  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  guess  so.  I  always  believe  in  eating  when 
you  can  get  a  chance." 

The  Indian  now  took  his  kettle  containing  the  lini- 
ment off  of  the  stove,  and  set  it  outdoors  to  cool,  and 
joined  the  boys  at  the  table.  During  the  meal  Foster 
gave  an  account  of  their  day's  sport,  and  the  fellows 
laughed  when  he  described  their  dinner. 

As  soon  as  supper  was  over,  Wingate  undressed  and 
turned  into  his  bunk,  and  the  Indian  bathed  his  breast 
very  carefully  with  the  liniment,  making,  however, 
several  applications. 

"There,  sir,  you  feel  better  to-morrow,  and  I  get 
some  different  things  in  the  woods  and  make  you  some 
medicine  to  take  three  times  a  day.  Don't  you  fret 
'bout  this,  I  cure  you  all  right.  Tadpole  good  friend  to 
you,  because   you   treat  him  like  a  white  man.    You 


up  the  North  Branch. 


I 


I 


314 

'^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^'^ tlZ^  ;'lnn' 

hovs    nul  then,  i..  ^u.  exuberance  of  feclmg,  acUl>"= 
iT^h   '    tronger  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  here 
'  T  r  nclian.  4o  .as  no  mean  doctor  hav.ng  learned 
a  „eat  deal  of  natnre's  healing  art  from  h,s  father, 
^u'^es  ed    o  the  boys  that  they  had  all  better  ret.re 
eaTy   hat  night  and  iet  Wingate  sleep  if  he  could,  and 
it^ruiittnta  good  fire  in  the  ^-0  and  se.  on  h.s 
kettle  of  linim...  again,  as  he  said  it  ougUt  to  sleep 

"as  all  of  the  party  would  have  done  »">">■■"?  Pf-'^ 
ble  for  their  friend,  t.ey  followed  the  Indian  s  ad.  ce 
Id  went  to  bed  as  soon  as  f^e  Wishes  were      -    d 
away,    and  lay  quietly  in  their  bunks  ur-il  they 
asleep,  dispensing  with  all  talk  o.  laughter 

None  of  the  boys  arose  Tuesday  morning  until  they 

<;'iw  Wintrate  was  awake.  , 

Ibout  seven  o'clock  Charlie  opened  h,s  eyes  and 
found  the  camp  as  still  as  a  Quaker  meeting 

"What  is  the  matter,  fellows?"  he  called  out_ 
..  Are  you  all  dead  ? "  His  watch  hung  where  he  could 
see  it  and  he  noticed  it  was  five  minutes  past  seven. 

"No^  old  man,"  answered  Claude,  "we  did  not  wish 
to  disturb  you,  and  so  did  not  get  up. ' 

"You  are  very  kind,  fellows,  and  I  suppose  the 
sleep  did  me  good.     I  feel  first-rate  this  morning. 

"Hurrah  !  "shouted  Maynard.  "That  is  the  way  to 
talk,"  and  the  boys  all  cheered. 

The  -.oise  brought  Tadpole  inside.  He  had  urned 
out  at  five  o'clock,  and  built  the  fire  so  noiselessly  that 
nobody  had  heard  him. 


Fight  wi  Ji  a  Catamoimt. 


315 


The  fellows  were  all  getting  up  now,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Wingale ;  and  the  Indian  went  over  lO 
Charlie's  bunk,  and  said:  "Feel  better,  eh?  No 
smart  this  morning." 

"  Correct,  Dr.  Tadpole.  The  smarting  and  soreness 
are  all  gone.  There  must  be  sometliing  miraculous 
about  that  liniment." 

"  Berry  good  stuff,  that.  You  lay  still,  I  put  him  on 
som-"  more,"  and  the  Indir.n  examined  VVingate's 
wounds,  declared  'hey  were  doing  well,  and  made  an- 
other application  ot  the  liniment. 

After  breakfast,  all  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Claude,  Foster,  and  Wingate,  went  to  the  scene  of  the 
conflict  of  the  day  before,  and  dressed  the  deer,  and 
took  the  hide  off  of  the  animal  which  had  so  nearly 
been  the  death  of  V.'ingate,  and  which  Tadpole  pro- 
nounced one  of  the  largest  catamounts  he  had  ever 
seen,  and  he  acknowledged  that  he  would  not  have 
cared  to  have  met  the  animal  alone  iiimself. 

The  party  reacled  camp  on  their  return,  at  half  past 
twelve,  and  at  one  o'clock  they  sat  down  to  dinner. 
While  they  were  eating,  it  began  to  rain,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  water  was  falling  in  torrents,  l  d  they  all 
passed  the  afternoon  in  camp. 

Tadpole  had  brou'^ht  back  with  him  the  roots  and 
herbs  he  needed  for  .he  internal  medicine,  and  made 
it  during  the  afternoon.  He  applied  the  liniment  to 
Winjrate's  wounds  after  dinner,  and  about  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  and  each  time  made  a  favorable  report. 
The  patient  had  eaten  all  his  meals  at  the  table,  and 
had  been  up  around  the  camp  the  greater  part  of  the 
day. 


316 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


During  the  night  the  storm  blew  itself  out,  and 
Wednesday  morning  broke  bright  and  pleasant,  and 
warmer  than  it  had  been  before  for  a  week,  and  there 
was  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  stirring. 

While  they  were  eating  breakfast,  the  party  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  they  would  return  to  Kdmundston, 
as  diey  might  not.have  so  good  a  day  to  cross  the  lake 
a'-ain  for  a  week,  and  the  moment  breakfast  was  over 
they  began  packing. 

As  Wingate  was  not  in  a  condition  to  row  or  paddle. 
Tadpole  proposed  that  he  should  take  Charlie  with 
him  in  his  canoe,  an^  .»ingate  readily  assented.  Tad- 
pole then  spread  the  skins  of  the  deer,  moose,  and 
catamount  in  the  bottom  of  his  canoe,  and  arranged  a 
roll  of  blankets,  so  that  his  passenger  could  lie  down 
or  sit  up,  just  as  he  preferred.  He  also  took  a  few  of 
the  other  things  in  his  canoe,  loading  it  as  heavily  as 

he  dared. 

The  venison  and  birds  were  then  divided  among  the 
three  boats,  with  the  rest  of  the  "collateral,"  and  at 
nine  o'clock  the  party  headed  for  Degele's,  where  they 
intended  to  pass  the  night,  whose  cabin  was  a  short 
distance  below  the  foot  of  the  lake. 

The  water  was  as  smooth  as  a  mirror,  and  the  rocks 
and  trees  along  the  shore  were  perfectly  reflected.  It 
was  so  warm  that  the  rowars  found  it  uncomfortabb, 
and  the  perspiration  rolled  down  Tadpole's  face  in  a 
stream,  as  he  paddled  his  heavily  laden  birch. 

It  was  agreed  tliat  they  should  take  dinner  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  opposite  Cloutier's,  as  they  wished  to 
get  some  sugar  and  miik  at  the  hotel,  and  Claude  told 


Fight  with  a  Catamount. 


317 


Tadpole  that  the  boats  would  pur'  on  to  save  time 
and  have  dinner  all  rjady  when  he  arrived  with  Win- 
gate.  As  the  boys  could  row  their  boats  much  faster 
than  the  Indian  V.-'d  paddlo  his  birch,  this  seemed 
the  best  thir.g  to  do. 

As  they  pulled  down  the  lake,  all  the  fellows  de- 
clared the  day  was  made  to  order,  and  they  enjoyed 
the  mildness  of  the  weather  and  the  beautiful  scenery, 
as  all  lovers  of  nature  do.  It  was  too  warm  for  racing, 
and,  although  they  saw  several  llocks  of  ducks,  none 
came  within  gunshot. 

At  one  o  dock  they  reached  the  place  where  they 
intended  to  d'ne,  and  while  Claude  and  Foster  started 
a  fire,  and  began  to  get  dinner,  Maynard  and  St.  C.air 
went  over  to  the  hotel  and  purchased  two  quarts  of 
milk,  some  sugar,  and  two  apple  pies. 

Tadpole  did  not  arrive  until  two  o'clock,  but  when 
he  came  everything  was  ready,  and  the  party  sat  down 
to  dinner,  without  further  loss  of  time. 

At  half  past  two  Tadpole  and  Wingate  left,  and  the 
boats  followed  in  about  fifteen  minutes,  passmg  the 
canoe  in  a  very  short  time.  During  the  afternoon, 
the  boys  made  better  time  than  they  had  in  the  morn- 
ing,  as  they  wished  to  reach  as  early  as  possible  the 
place  where  they  were  to  spend  the  night. 

It  was  six  o'clock,  however,  doing  their  best,  when 
they  reached  the  landing,  and  at  seven  they  had 
supper  ready,  just  in  time  for  Wingate  and  Tadpole. 
\fter  supper  they  went  up  to  Degele's,  to  see  if  they 
could  get  lodging,  and  he  offered  them  what  accomn^o- 
dations  he  had,  which  were  rather  scanty.     But  as  this 


C18 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


move  had  been  planned  by  Claude  simply  so  that 
Chorlie  could  sleep  under  cover,  and  as  Wingate  was 
given  a  room  and  a  bed  to  himself,  the  other  members 
of  the  party  took  what  they  could  get  and  said  noth- 
ing, and,  in  fact,  they  had  more  fun  than  sleep  during 
the  night,  for  certain  reasons,  best  known  to  themselves. 
Thursday  morning  everybody  was  up  bright  and 
early,  and  Wingate  reported  himself  as  "  feeling  first- 
rate,"  which  was  welcome  news  to  his  friends.  Claude 
and'  Foster  prepared  breakfast  by  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  at  half  past  seven  the  party  sat  down  to  eat. 
At  halt  past  eight  th  y  had  embarked,  and  were  run- 
ning down  river  with  a  favoring  current. 

The  day  was  nearly  as  fine  as  Wednesday,  and  the 
sail  down  th*^.  river  was  a  most  enjoyable  one.  i\\  half 
past  eleven  they  stopped  opposite  Griffin's,  sixteen 
miles  from  Edmundston,  and  cooked  and  ate  their  din- 
ner. As  they  could  make  the  remainder  of  the  dis- 
tance easily  in  four  hours,  they  did  not  leave  their 
bivouac  until  one  o'clock. 

The  latter  part  of  the  day  passed  away  as  pleasantly 
as  the  forenoon  had,  and  at  five  o'clock  the  party 
landed  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  a  liitle  way 
al)ovc  the  bridge,  and,  leaving  Claude,  I'ostor,  and 
Tadpole  to  look  after  the  boats,  the  rest  of  the  parly 
walked  to  the  hotel,  and  sent  down  two  teams  for  the 
boats  and  baggage. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


DEATH    OF    THE    COINERS  —  HOME. 

Everything  came  safely  to  the  hotel,  and,  as  the 
party  all  felt  more  or  less  tired,  they  went  to  bed  early, 
raid,  as  they  did  not  intend  to  leave  Edmundston  until 
Monday,  it  was  eight  o'clock  before  they  made  their 
appearance  .n  the  dining-room  Friday  morning. 

Friday  was  a  raw,  cloudy,  disagreeable  day,  with  an 
occasional  snow  squall,  and  they  stopped  in  the  hotel 
the  most  of  the  time,  and  talked  with  Tadpole,  whom  they 
had  not  discharged,  about  the  river  between  Edmunds- 
ton  and  Grand  Falls,  which  was  to  be  the  end  of  their 
excursions  by  water. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  a  good  pilot  on  the  river,  Tad- 
pole. Know  it  pretty  well  between  here  and  Grand 
Falls  ?  "  questioned  Claude. 

"  Guess  so.  Me  been  down  urn  river  hundred  times. 
Know  all  shoal  places  —  all  bad  places." 

"  What  do  you  say,  fellows,  to  having  TadpoL^  go 
down  as  far  as  Grand  Falls  with  us  ?  We  can  run  ..ur 
boats  through  any  water  that  his  canoe  will  live  in.  mu\ 
he  can  take  the  lead  in  bad  water,  and  we  can  follow 
him,"  and  Claude  gazed  around  at  his  friends. 

"  That  is  a  mighty  good  idea  of  yours,  CMaude,"  as- 
serted St.  Clair,  "  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  the  same 
thing  had  occurred  to  me.     I  go  in  for  it  by  all  means." 

319 


820 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


iUtt;: 


--:p;;;^;;7;rmr^y  expressed  themselves  in  favor 
of  it,  and  it  was  concluded  to  have  the  Indian  nccom- 
mnv  them  to  Grand  Falls. 
'^    '  How  Ions  will  it  take  us  to  do  it,  Tadpole?"  asked 

Maynard.  •     u  :«  «no 

"Just  as  long  as  you  like.  Do  h.m  en  pmch  m  ore 
long  day,  or  two,  three,  or  four  days.  1'-^  J"  '  ^= 
three  days  best.  First  day  go  to  mouth  of  Green 
River  lecond  day  to  mouth  of  Grand  K.ver.  Th.rd 
Ty  to  Grand  Falls.     If  have  good  weather,  berry  n.ce 

'"  "  AH  right !    Take  your  word  for  it.    I  believe  you 

are  tte  only  Indian  that  never  told  a  lie,"  and  Claude 

smiled  and  winked  at  Tadpole.  .  ,,  ,  .  . 

"  Man  be  fool  tell  lie  when  truth  do  better,"  remarked 

the  Indian,  and  the  boys  all  laughed  at  Tadpole  s  ph. 

'°  Saturday  was  pleasant,  and  the  boys  passed  the  day 
ou  rors;'3undry  was  the  'etter  day  all  o  the  par.j, 
writing  home,  and  telling  the.r  fnends  when  they  ex 

''"The  "rJgtle  laid  down  by  the  Indian  was  carried 

out,  and  ,1^  party  had  a  ve.y  P'--"'  "■"-  ^^^'td' 
Grand  Falls  Wednesday  afternoon  at  five  o  elock,  and 
gZ  to  the  best  hotel,  registered  and  secured  roon,s, 
as  th'ey  had  decided  to  stop  in  the  town  the  remauuler 

of  the  week.  ,    ,      ,    „(  .i,,.  rlvir 

They  had  landed  on  the  north  bank  of  the  r    cr, 
above  the  falls,  and  as  near  as  they  dared  go  tn  the.r 

''°"'r wonder  if  the  boats  will  be  safe  here,"  remarked 


Death  of  the  Coiners  —  Home. 


S2l 


CHudo      "  If  so,  we  misht  leave  tbem  umil  Saturday, 

"°"T:;::"'::;r;:avcu,e.,"decMedc,audo 

\  team  »as  sent  from  the  hotel  to  get  everythtng  but 
,hf,  oatrand  after  the  boys  reeeived  their  th.ugs  they 
ctnged  Iheir  suits,  as  they  had  done  "  rough.ng  tt    for 

"'That'evemng,  the  whole  party,  aceompanied  by  Tad- 
p2^::ied/w„Broad..ya^^^^^^^^^^ 

was  not  salisfaciory.  ^  ^ 

Thursday  they   passed  in  ^-V^on^^^^^^^^^ 
•  %•   rr  thP  Wells    the  Narrows,  Pulpit  Rock,  Lowers 
visiting  the  \\  els,  U  .^   ^^^^  ^.^^^^^^^^ 

Leap,  and  all  the  other  sno      i  ^  ^^ 

They  thoroughly  enjoved  the  daj,  ana  oui 

good  idea  of  this  miniature  Niagara 

**  ^       J  XT  Ho  orp  «;pventv-five  feet   hign,   ii"*-'    ^"' 

.rif:ef:ire:rd.j;o,u.^^^^^^ 

down  .he  river  .s  very  la  ge^  ];^ir.J  from  one 

rtXrr,r;rvi:::are,e,.worthavisu 

to  the  town,  at  any  time  of  year.  ^^y^nce  of 

,,,       forenoon   .he  part.  -^^^^^  ^^^^  ,„„,. 

Tadpole,  vis.ted  a  h'".  "^"  '  ^       ,  ',     ,,,.e„  InuKlrcd 
„,;t  they  had  a  fine  v.cw  o    ^^^      ^^  ^^„„, 

feet  below  .hem,  -''I  ?' '"«       f  „„,  ,„  ,  .valk.  going 
In  the  afternoon  « ><^y;"'"«;       ^  ,„„k  at  the  boats 
up  the  river,  and  concluded  .o  take  a 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


1 


Y>^ 


point  U,a.  Tadpo  e    ad  sp^U  n  o,  .^,^_^  ^^^    _^^  ^^^ 
the  finest  views  of  the  nvcr 

prised  to  see  .hat  ''-y--  .     _U>       -r^  ^^^^  ^^^^^^ 

„,cn  were  just  carrpng  [^^^'^  ^       „,ij  <,„,  boats  ?  " 
.'What  in  lime  those  felloes  doin  footsteps, 

cried  Tadpole,  and  the  party  quickened 
»ith  the  exception  of  X\  mgate.  _  ^^     ^^^^_ 

..Whatareyounptotl.ere.     s     .^^_ 
"  IS=t  ^ha'  canoe  alone     called  ^.^^^_  ^_^^j_  ^^ 

The  men  were  then  .=>;  *^^ ';^,  „,^  ,„„„e  roughly. 

.„ey  '«"'' ^-'^f  l:ru;onTe    dvancins  party,  who 
:errr„r:"itXir  faces    could  .edistia- 

^ire'next  .o.ent,  to  the  surpr.e  oMhe  -ys.^ 

rt,ro?i:::r:ti::o\t:x,and,;n.^^^ 

r  the  canoe,  shoved  -y '- ^-^^^^^^^^  ,,« 

In  their  hurry,  through  -^j-^   ;>  ^^^  ,,„„,™  i„io 
a  lurch,  and  the  smaller  man  of  the  «^^^^^^        ^^^^  ^^ 

,he  river ;  but  he  was  hardly    n  the  w  ^^^^  ^^ 

struck  out  powerfully,  and  wuh  a  lew  stro 

U,eeanorandhadholdon..  ^^^    his    unfortunate 

The   man   m  the   ^.i""'^   "  difficulty,  suc- 

companion  by  the  cc^ar,  ^^^^^^   ^,^^  craft 

ceeded  in   g"""S  .'""\.^;„  \hey  both  caught  up   a 


'■  ? 


Death  of  the  Coiners  —  Hovic. 


823 


time  lost  in  the  accident  the  canoe  had  been  drifting 
down  river  at  a  rapid  rate. 

As  the  men  took  their  places  for  paddling,  the  party 
on  shore  caught  a  good  view  of  their  faces,  and  Claude 
and  Wingate  exclaimed  at  the  same  moment,  "The 
Coiners  !  "  while  Tadpole  cried  out,  "  Dey'U  never  get 

ashore  !  "  ,  .      j 

•'  That  was  Bill  and  Jim,  as  sure  as  I  live  !  "  exclaimed 

Wingate.     "  They  must  have  broken  jail  and  come  back 

here  lately." 

While  watching  and  talking,  the  party  were  follow-  t, 
along  the  river  bank,  which  increased  in  height  fast, 
untiWt  became  a  precipitous  wall  of  rock,  tcering  up 
from  the  water  for  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

The  coiners,  for  it  was  they  in  the  canoe,  had  evi- 
dently recognized  Claude's  voice  N/hen  he  had  called 
to  them,  which  would  account  for  their  setting  the  boats 
adrift,  also  their  speedy  flight  in  the  canoe,  and  the 
accident,  which,  according  to  Tadpole,  was  to  cost  them 

their  lives.  ■      u    i 

"No  hope  for  dem  fei.ers,"  said  Tadpole,  wno  had 

been  watching  the  canoe  like  a  lynx,  "dey  go  over  the 

falls  sure."  ,  „r     ^ 

"  Why  that  will  be  horrible  !  "  exclaimed  W  ood. 
«'  It  will  serve  them  right !  "  declared  Wingate.     "It 

is    a    more    merciful    death    than   they  designed  for 

Claude  and  me." 

-While  I  would  help  rescue  them  if  there  was  any 
possible  way  to  do  it,  that  justice  might  take  its  course, 
remarked    Claude,  "I  shall  not  ^^e  V!^^"//^;'^^^ /°^ 
their  tragic  death.     Their  lives  are  forfeited  to  the  law 


up  the  North  Branch. 


* 


324  __ 

■ nr^^i^r^e  of  the  word,  they  are  fortu- 

'"The  boys  had  now  to  run  to  keep  up  with  the  canoe 

^^^:^^^^^^ 

'^'7,:;:'h:  was  the  tane.  and  ™ore  powerful  of  the  two 
Jn.  ;ow  .ade  a  last  desp.Hn,  stnUe  or  h.  ^  tan., 
incr  up  in  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  nc  ^ 

,.Uh  the  {---".^"^"S*  t^f',"r:,„,o„  superhuman 
Fnr  n  moment  it  seemed  as  it  nis  aimuM       i 

Xs:s;::rpTcrd::"r:;:centteo.  the  canoe, 

t:Lrtss;ve;tapUU>.owa.U..sa^.^^^ 

"  All  up  now,  gone  sure  !     Broke  v 

claimed  Tadpole.  „  ^^^jj. 

;r'rniroUi,:t\    "rst'of  the  .an,  -he  party 
:a::;hrrSt\hlects  hover  for  a  second  in  the  sun- 

light,  and  t"->,<''-W^"„frb;"^;^  tm-e,-  remarked 

"They   are  kindhng-wood  by  tnis  umc, 

Qt   rX-xw  with  perfect  coohiess. 
they  dropped  down  in  the  canoe. 


TUB  PK'VTH  OF 


,-  THB  COINBR8.     Page  32fi. 


Death  of  the  Coiners  —  Home. 


325 


"  Great  Scott !  they  have  shot  thcmscl  es,"  cried  Le 

Rov,  turning  pale.  ,      ,  ,  ,  , 

"  I  don't  blame  them,  Tom  .  I  should  have  done 
the  same  thin-  had  I  been  in  ..leir  place,  and  had  the 
means  to  do  it  with,"  declared  Maynard. 

And  now,  horrified  and  fascinated,  the  party,  as  if 
by  mutual  consent,  came  to  a  standstill,  and  watched 
the  light  craft,  with  lightning  speed,  sweep  to  the  brink 
of  the  terrible  abyss,  and  then  disappear  with  its  human 

^'^"^God   have    mercy    on    their    souls!"    ejaculated 

-^Amen  ^ "  added  St.  Clair,  who  was  deeply  affected 
by  the   sight   he   had   witnessed,   as   Nvere   the   whole 

^'''' You  have  seen  the  end  of  our  enemies  this  time, 
Charlie,  whhout  doubt,"  remarked  Claude. 

''  I  suppose  so,"  returned  Wingate.        1  told  them  I 
should  live  to  see  them  hanged,  but  I  made  a  sligh 
mistake,  for  it  seems  the  Lord  meant  they  should  be 

"TM^ytlnoe,  he  make  um  good  hearse,"  said  Tadpole. 

'%t"having  heard  from  Wingate  the  story  of  how  the 
coders  had  treated  the  boys  on  their  trip  down  tne 
West  Branch,  the  Indian  was  rejoiced  over  the  manner 
in  which  their  enemies  had  met  their  death 

u  I  never  wish  to  see  such  a  sight  again,    said  \\ood 
.ho  was  trembling  from  ^^^^ 


Vp  the  North  Branch. 


326 

-— --— ^-j;;;:^^  "It  does 

hands  of   man,   they   could   not  escape 

^"■^WelV  remarked  Claude,  drawing  a  long  breatV'  I 

JL  'we  ougM  to  go  ----:•::  jr^iS 
z::  ■ror.i'ri:",::": .;  d...  sea.,.., 

after  these  men."  ^     ^        »» 

"That  seems  to  me  the  proper  thmg  to  d 

added  Foster.  I    ge  if 

"  Suppose  we  go  down  to  the  bridge  first,  ana  se 

™-"t ->'''''""  d^iir^c^rnis—::^ 

if  anybody  witnessed  tlie  accmcni 
proposed  Maynard    __  .^     „  ^„  ^^^^  „„ 

"I  go  m  for  'hat,     a^'-ee'l  ^^^_^^^  ^  _^^g_ 

do  about  witnessing  their  death  is  i    „  ^^^ 

i,trate,  and  make  a  deposU.on  to  t^iat  effect, 
can  do  that  to-morrow  as  well  as  to-day. 

"'r'>»''-°'''^tll'o!i?rthe   main    street,   and 

^1d  f^  tLtm  r  Betlthey  reached  it,  however, 
Started  for  tne  onu^c.  ^^^ 

Uwas  evident  '-'  '^  J^  ,:;V     n:;:er  of  people 

had  seen  the  accident,   as  a  lar^c 

^vere  hurrying  toward  the  bridge.  ^ 

The  boys  walked  to  the  —  ^  ^    J>  ^^^^'^  '^^^,,,^. 
thev  found  a  crowd  of  excited  people,  vv 
in  French  and  En^Uh,  an    peering  in.  Uie  r.er,^^^^^ 
on  one  side,  and  then  the  oa.e..     -        ^ 


"^^Tot'aTe  alive,  .hen  ?    -Vre  all  your  pnny  safe  ?  " 
..rshouUi.ay;ve,ve.e.     UonH  you  see  ,he  fello.s 

r  'carried  oete   alls.     He  had  seen  your  boats 
been  carried  o^er  l  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^^^^ 

and  the  canoe  go  o\er  the  caiaia 

ing  the  bridge."  j„  j,,^„_.. 

"^rrcSral     otrgan  a  narration  oeth^ 
returned  ^'•'"1f.^"  ^        „„d  everybody  who 

rMrriaK;Shcro.ded  around  to  hear  the 

^Tter  Caude  had  '^^^'^f^XlZ  t^:^^ 

,„.a's  f^^^^Zr^l^  ^^  -efuUy  to 
around  the  chfc  alon  ^^  ^^_^„^_ 

see  if  they  could  find    n^    - ^  t,,,^,  ^^nt 

rr^re'^oaa;  ana  then  .valued  to  the  statio,.. 

Claude?"  •'"'.--<»,D"'^<=' :;,:^:^r  tt^l-n  a  hay. 

"  '^''-  A"  i  ^oXn  -Anybody  -vho  would 

;':^-eno5'«-nthe,ntogotothee..penseot 

'"^.lrLubr:£  they  are  ever  seen  again."  added  May- 


up  the  North  Branch. 


828  

;;;;;;;  -H  they  ^ere  found  along  here,  the  town 
authorities  .oukl  have  to  bury  them,  and  they  wUl 
not  take  any  unnecessary  trouble  in  the  matter,  1 11  be 
bound.  I  don't  see  why  they  should,  euher.  The 
men  are  dead,  and  their  remains  may  as  well  be  buned 
in  the  river  as  anywhere  else." 

«  Poison  de  fish,"  put  in  Tadpole,  dryly. 

-  Don't  be  vindictive,  Tadpole,"  remarked  Claude, 
who,  with  his  friends,  could  not  repress  a  smile  at  the 

Indian's  speech. 

When  the  party  reached  their  hotel,  they  found  it 
full  of  currous  people,  who  began  to  interview  them  with 
a  freedom  that  would  have  don.  credit  to  a  daily  news- 
paper reporter,  and,  to  escape  this  throng,  wno  were 
all  strangers  to  them,  the  boys  adjourned  to  Claudes 
loom,  where  they  stopped  till  supper  tune. 

After  t'  meal  was  over,  the  party  went  into  the 
ladies'  parlor,  where  they  could  avoid  the  .rowd,  and 
passed  a  delightful  evening,  with  music  and  singing. 

"Talk  about  a  Yankee's  curiosity,"  remarked  Wood, 
durin-  one  of  the  intervals  between  the  singing.  "  If 
these'canucks  cannot  discount  any  Yankee  on  curi- 
osity  that    I    ever   saw,    then   I  am    a  newspaper  re- 

^°"  Which  is  equivalent  to  being  a  liar,"  added  Drake, 

laughing. 

"  Exactly." 

While  at  breakfast  the  next  morning,  the  landlord 
came  to  the  table  where  the  boys  were  eating,  and  told 
them  they  would  have  to  go  to  a  magistrate's  omce 
that  morning,  and  tell  what  they  knew  about  the  acci- 


Death  of  the  Coiners  —  Home. 


329 


I 


tlcnt,  and  addecl  that    a   policeman  was   then   i;.   the 
i,«tJ   w-iitin'^  to  talk  uilh  them. 

-rWs  U  rnuisancc,"  rem.rkca  Claude.  "We  don't 
care  to  spend  the  whole  day  in  rcpcal.n;!  a  s..  ■  -Uat 
'rhave  already  worn  threadbare,  and  1  don  t  see  by 
what  ri"ht  the  magistrate  summons  us. 

"Vte  poUcem^m  has  a  letter  (or  you,"  added  the 

'"?^t' it  in  here,  then."  said  Maynard,  "and  tefs 

COP  what  he  has  to  say.  , 

The  landlord  went  out  and  obtained  the  letter,  and 
w  -.f  tn  f 'liude   who  read  it  aloud. 
'"ut         ot^^iue;  in   an  olbeial  capacity,  but  the 
,ni,    rate  said  that  he  understood  the  men  who  ha 
,,een    drowned  were    fugiuves  from      .    •   .   -d 
American  officers  vl.ted  the  -.  --"  ^^^_^^ 

,he  case,  he  would  Uke  to  be  able        „ 

information  '--;;'''; ^;,  ^^'^0- ''-'  '"''  »■»-'' 
of  themauer,    xc  Ptf-nthe  ^^  ^^^  ^^^^^^ 

through  the  place,  =>"d  'f  °ne  ^^  ^^^^ 

could  find  "~"^^""t,,VpLtd  to  meet  them, 
o'clock  Saturday,  he  womd  be  P'<=^  '•^  ,^,„„k,d 

"The  fellow  is  a  gentleman,  at  all  events, 

Claude,  "and,  since  he  puts  the  '^^^;i'^;Z!l 
has  it  would  hardly  be  poUte  of  us  not  to  „o 

^°?^r;~a:..i.-w:-^--- 

;r.;:"n:t::a:htormembersofthepart. 
^^I^eut-Swe  tin  come."  said  Claude. 


*L 


^ 


330 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


.The  cop?  "inquired  the  landlord  ^^^^^ 

"Yes,  the  cop.     ^r  ^"^   i'         ' 

."^.  I°i:e!""safd  the  landlord,  as  he  left  the  pany  to 
finish  their  breakfast.  „,g 

ihe  offieial'  a  very  pleasant  S^^  -7";^         ;„„  ,o„e. 
A  crowd  had  followed  the  P^^^;^  P^^'^  \^-^,^,^ 
thin.'  unusual  was  going  on,  ard  they  did  no. 

f:;tr:tr:Jt^Lt?d,andt.^ 

aveLnaUthelnfo™at^th^pos^4t.;ec.r. 

'^"-'"=  "  frihe';::^  n    vhicll  tl.  did,  and  -heu 
to  swear  to  the  staten  c    ,  ,entleir,.in,  whom 

''-'  'r'l  rrrlt    h  ;    sue  sp-ortsnran,  and  an 
:r  I™  .r:heTeu  was  :,e  o.loch.  and  add.d 


** 


-Iftis--'  > 


Death  of  the  Coinen  —  Home. 


331 


\ 


come  to  Grand  Falls  the  next  summer,  and  he  would 
Ue  them  .o  a  salmon  stream  ne  leased,  where  they 
n.i-^ht   have    a  -chance  to  battle  with  the  gannest  hs.. 

in  fresh  waters.  .     .     ,  ,  •      ,^ 

The  bovs  th.tiVed  him,  and  Cl.uKk-  inv.ted  h,ra  to 
■e  dinner  with  them  Sunday  ;  but  he  refuse  1,  on  die 
ea  of  "Oing  out  of  town  that  afternoon. 

""  "  ,r  I  were  at  home  to-morrow,  nothing  would  g.ve 
me  .;.ater  pleasure,"  he  added,  a.  the  boys  bade  h,m 

'''xhat  afternoon  they  took  the  walk  up  the  river  that 
thev  itad  been  interrupted  in  by  the  loss  o  the.r  boats, 
I'd  Tadpole  related  several  --esttng  legends  co- 
nected   with  the   Indians'  occupancy  of   the   country 

''tX^l<^  boys  attended  service  at  th.  Episcopal 
church  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  took 
another  long  walk  down  the  rn    r. 

Monday  morning  they  setl.ul  up  wul  "'^  J""^^^™; 
nnd  beside  paying  him  for  his  t.n>e  and  canoe,  made 
ht'  a  Resent  of  ten  dollars,  for  they  had  all  enpyed 

" V:dS'  -s  sorry  to  part  with  them  for  they  ^med 
,-.e  frlnds  to  him,  and  he  bcgge     t  ent    ■  .h^>  ^ 
intended  visiting  the  countrv  ^ff'  "•  ^      f        ,„, 
and  he  would  go  w,th  them,  n,.  ™^"«^;"<=  J  ^,^  ,;,,,,, 
u       ^      He  eave  Wingate  two  bot  le>   ot    i™"'       • 
bound.     He  ga  e   ^      „  use,  with 

one  for  external   and  the  other  loi 

directions.  ^     (),.pot.  and 

The  Indian   accompanied  Aem  to  t  '  ^ 

shook  hands  before  the  tra.n  started,  and  then 
,l,e  cars  until  they  were  out  of  st.^ht. 


332 


Up  the  North  Branch. 


The  party  went  clown  to  Vanceborough  by  the  New 
Brunswick  Railway,  and  then  to  Bangor  by  the  Maine 
Central,  and  from  the  Queen  City  of  the  East  ll.^^y 
tcck  passage  on  one  of  the  Bangor  steamers,  for 
reasons  best  known  to  a  few  of  the  party,  arriving 
safely  in  Boston,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  four 
months,  during  which  time  they  had  travelled  almost 
fourteen  hundred  miles,  five  hundred  of  which  had 
been  entirely  through  the  wilderness. 

Soon  after  their  arrival  home,  there  was  an  interest- 
ing meeting  of  the  Lake  and  Forest  Club,  at  which  the 
body's,  with  the  exception  of  Robbins  and  Foster,  who 
had  returned  to  their  respective  homes,  related  their 
summer  adventures. 

Before  Robbins  left,  he  had  obtained  a  promise  from 
Claude  that,  the  next  trip  the  club  made,  they  would 
visit  him  in  Florida,  and  the  next  volume  in  this  series 
will  be  entitled,  "Southward  Bound;  or,  Camp  Life 
IN  Florida." 


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OF' History 


By  GEORGE   MAKEPEACE  TOWLE. 

Hanasomely  Illustrated.    Price  per  vol.,  $1.25,    Sets  In  ne»t  boxefc 

VASCO     DA     GAMA: 

HIS  VOYAGES  AND  ADVENTURES. 

♦'  Da  Gama's  history  is  full  of  BirikiiD?  adventures,  thrillini?  incidents,  and 

Deriloue  situations ;  and  Mr.  Towle,  while  not  sacrificing  historical  aecura.-y, 

\m  so  skilfully  used  his  materials,  that  we  have  a  charmingly  romantic  tale. 

—  Rural  New-Yorker.  „.„,,« 

P  I  Z  A  R  R  O  : 

HIS  ADVENTURES  AND  CONQUESTS. 
"  No  hero  of  romance  possesses  greater  power  to  charm  the  youthful  render 
than  the  conqueror  of  Peru.  Not  even  Ring  Arthur,  or  1  haddeus  of  \N  ar- 
■aw  has  the  power  to  capt'-ate  the  imagination  of  the  growing  boy.  Mr. 
Kle  has  handled  bis  subject  in  a  glowing  but  truthful  manner;  and  wc 
venTure  the  assertion,  that,  were  our  children  led  to  read  such  books  as  his. 
the  teste  for  unwholesome,  exciting,  wrong-teaching  boys'  books—lm.o 
novel^  in  bookB-  clothing- would  be  greatly  diminished,  to  the  great  gain  of 
mental TorcTand  moral  lurpose  in  the  rising  generation."-a.c«(?a  Alhan.e. 

MAGELLAN; 

OR    THE    FIRST   VOYAOE    ROUND   THE    WORLD. 
"What  more  of  romantic  and  spirited  adventures  any  bright  boy  cou  a 

mKs  a  tole  of  marvellous  fascination."  -  Christian  Imon. 
MARCO    POLO: 

HIS  TRAVELS  AND  ADVENTURES. 

RALEGH: 

«Tc:    EXPLOITS    AND    VOYAGES. 

..This  helonlJfoth^e  ^:^o.^^:^^^^^^^^i;^;^  wS 
vilh  a  greater  and  more  interesting  man  than  any  oii     \  _^,,,,  ^,,.^1,,^ 


DRAKE: 

to  .end  «  «WpcoJipc«ly  round  Ihf^wo™^^^^  Hl.cmerw- 

2s:.S3;  rdKturui,T»-a,,,  >ouu, .  „,d  „.. 


'RRVEL  UNO  ADVENTURE 


r 


't-:T3^itS0B 


Illustrated     Per  Volume  $1.50 


YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD 


Ftrsi  Series. 

I.  OUTWARD   BOUND ;    or,  Young  America  Afloat. 

II.  SHAMROCK  AND   THISTLE;   or,  Young  America 

IN  Ireland  and  Scotland. 

III.  RED  CROSS;  OR,  Young  America  in  England  and 

Wales. 

IV.  DIKES  AND   DITCHES;    or,   Young    America    in 

Holland  and  Belgium. 

V.  PALACE  AND  COTTAGE;  or.  Young  America   i.< 

France  and  Switzerland. 
VI.    DOWN  THE  RHINE;    or.  Young  America  in  Ger- 
many.   

Second  Series. 

I.    UP  THE  BALTIC;  op..  Young  America  in  Norway, 
Sweden,  and  Denmark. 

II.  NORTHERN  LANDS;  OR,  Young  America  in  Russia 

AND  Prussia. 

III.  CROSS  AND    CRESCENT;    or.  Young    America  in 

Turkey  and  Greece. 

IV.  SUNNY  SHORES ;  or,  Younc  America  in  Italy  and 

Austria. 
V.     VINE  AND    OLIVE ;   or,  Youn^   America  in  Spain 
and  Portugal. 

VI.  ISLES   OF   THE  SEA :    or,  Young  America  Homb- 

WARD  Bound. 

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